


Rescue My Heart

by Katzenkinder



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, M/M, Miscommunication, Past Sexual Abuse, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Social Media, hotel au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:48:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28459293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katzenkinder/pseuds/Katzenkinder
Summary: For the last three summers Eliott has worked at a hotel in the south of France. This season, however, promises to be little different now that the hotel's been sold to the wealthy Lallemant family which includes a handsome young man named Lucas.Lucas, heir to the Lallemant family and college student, takes a break from his life in the States to enjoy a summer in the Mediterranean. There he meets Eliott. He can't stop thinking about him but a past relationship still haunts Lucas and keeps him closed off.Will the two be able to overcome it if they want to be together?
Relationships: Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant, Eliott Demaury/Lucille (SKAM France), Lucas Lallemant and Charles Munier
Comments: 40
Kudos: 184





	1. Chapter 1

Orientation is weird. Not to be  _ that guy _ but Eliott considers himself a sort of pro when it comes to his job having worked at the posh Hôtel de Mialaret for the past three summers. Apparently the new management thought differently. 

At least free coffee and breakfast provided. Lola rests her head on Eliott's shoulder, eyes half shut, and Lucille stifles yawns every 10 seconds, as the presentation continues. And continues. 

And Eliott? Eliott’s looking all around the ballroom that’s been transformed into a meeting hall. He’s never had much of a chance to scope out the ballrooms at the hotel but apparently they are famous for their beauty. Eliott thinks that’s an understatement and thinks of a way he can come back when no one is watching and snap some photos. 

A letter from Hôtel de Mialaret arrived a month earlier. Eliott didn’t realise his summertime employment place had been sold off to an unknown business woman from Paris. He read the letter to make sure he still had a job come June, and then didn’t think much of the news. Yeah he'll be toiling away for the filthy rich guests for three months but he'll be in the midst of the beautiful French Riviera. 

What did he care about how the hotel managed itself?

Marie Lallemant is blond, tall, and slim and dressed in a dark blue business suit. She doesn’t look like your typical cut-throat business woman but she's still ruffled a lot of feathers of the older staff for buying the hotel from the beloved Mialaret family. Eliott Googled her name out of curiosity. Apparently she owns several hotels around Europe - all in the posies locations possible. The hotel tycoon screams money from the top of her perfectly coiffed head to her black and red Louboutin heels. But she seems like a nice enough woman as she stands in front of them.

He doesn’t know what made him turn around. A cough, a quiet murmur in the back? Whatever it was grabs his fleeting attention. He looks around, sees someone new, and just stares. For the most part working at the hotel feels like Eliott’s part of a huge extended family. He knows everyone. And everyone knows him. This guy...Eliott’s never seen before and well … he’s drop dead gorgeous with big expressive eyes and a mop full of luxurious brown hair held back by the pair of sunglasses. He looks sharp in a white button down and jeans amidst the sea of the required business casual attire. Lola pinches his arm and suddenly Eliott's reverie comes to an end.

“What are you looking at?”

“None of your business.” God, she’s just like an annoying little sister he never had. He wishes for the millionth time he had orientation with Sofiane and Idriss. At least they would have the decency to be entertaining and not a pain in his ass.

Lola turns around and so does Lucille, their indiscretion irritating him. If they get caught he won’t talk to them for the next three months. 

“What am I looking for?”

"Nothing," he says through his teeth.

"Liar," Lola grumbles under her breath. "Tell me. I'm so bored."

“You see what guy standing in the back? The one in the white shirt?”

“No...oh wait…oh wow,” Lola sighes. 

“What about him?” Lucille asks critically.

Eliott’s mind goes blank. The history he has with Lucille is long and complicated but that doesn't mean it's a good idea to check out someone in front of her. He comes up with the lamest question ever. "Does he look familiar to you?"

"No. Not really."

Lola flops back in her seat. “You’ll have time to meet him when this is all over, lover boy. Turn back around or you’ll get in trouble, Eliott."

Eliott's heart skips a beat. He didn't think that far ahead. “You think he works here?”

"Why does it matter?" Lucille says under her breath.

"It doesn't."

“Why don't you chill, Lucille? It's not like you two are dating, right?" Lucille purses her lips but says nothing. "Why else would he be here, dumb dumb?" Lola continues. "He’s not a guest if he’s stuck in orientation like the rest of us scrubs.”

Eliott sees her point. He really really hopes that the guy is a new employee. He sneaks a couple more glances over his shoulder just to catch a glimpse of that remarkably beautiful face. When their eyes finally meet for a brief second Eliott’s world shrinks down to the two of them. It gets quiet and the only thing he can see are the lovely blue eyes. Unfortunately the guy looks away a moment later, breaking the spell. 

It’s not long before they break for lunch. Orientation is taken in rotations so the hotel is not understaffed. Once they’ve eaten it’s time to get to work but Eliott hangs around trying to catch a glimpse of the handsome newcomer. Madam Marceau, the matronly head housekeeper, chews him out for dawdling so with a sigh he heads down to his basement room to change into his suit. He's got three months with the guy. They’re bound to run into each other again.

* * *

  
  
  


Lucas stands in the back of the ballroom, proudly watching his mom give her speech to the sulky crowd. He expected this - the bored, glassy stares and the thick silence - but their outright rudeness made him want to march to the front and tell them all off. But his mom was doing an excellent job and eventually warmed the crowd up to her with her gentle voice and frequent smiles. Marie Lallemant is not your typical business woman. Sure she can get serious when she needs to be but right she's a mother hen.

He knows speech by heart when with its little tweaks here and there for personalization so he lets his mind and eyes wander until his eyes land on someone so handsome there's absolutely no way that he works here. Surely he'd make more money as a model that a fucking bell boy. Lucas watches him chat with a couple of girls. Of course with looks like that girls would be fawning over him. Still Lucas is instantly infatuated. When he smiles it's game over and Lucas steps out quickly or else risk making a fool of himself. 

He meets up with his mom after orientation. Lunch is being served out on her private residence's balcony at the very top of the hotel. Lucas can see the beautiful sprawl of the French riviera below. The ocean is a particularly pretty shade of blue beneath the warm golden sun and he's aching for a better view. 

"I think it went quite well," his mom says with a smile as they eat together. "They were a gloomy lot at the beginning but I think they'll grow to like us."

Lucas gives his mom a rueful smile. "Do they have a choice? You're their employer after all."

"Don't think like your father, dear. The Mialarets treated their staff like family and I will continue to do so."

The mention of staff has Lucas thinking back to that memorable face in the sea of others. He wonders about the name attached to that face. 

"Just don't let them take advantage of you," he says, pulling himself out of his daydream.

She gives him a steady stare down that makes his cheeks turn red. Nevertheless he can't stop worrying. When it comes down to it Lucas is a simple mama's boy and he's fiercely protective of her. "Seriously, Lucas. Have a little faith like your sister. I've run hotels before."

"Not one like this," he points out. "The other ones were new with all new staff. This one has history."

"A history I fully intend to honor,” she cuts in sharply. “Now stop worrying or all that lovely hair will fall out. You’re too young to look like your father.” Lucas pats his unruly mane self-consciously. “Have you done any research about this hotel?"

"No. I just got off the plane." He had taken a red eye flight from Boston to Nice and then drove to the hotel just in time to see his mom's first orientation and his head is still reeling. He pours himself another cup of coffee.

"I have the last orientation after we eat and then I'll be meeting with Madam Marceau for the rest of the afternoon. So if you're done holding my hand I suggest taking a walk around the ground when we've finished."

"I don’t know,” Lucas says with a deliberate sigh. “Is the head housekeeper nice?"

"Perfectly pleasant, love. I believe we'll get along fine. Besides there's something I want you to see in the west atrium."

"Oh yeah?" They share a smile but she doesn't explain.

He takes his mom's suggestion and wanders through the lower levels of the hotel. If this is going to be his home for the rest of the summer now is good a time as any to get the lay of the land. 

It's fine he tells himself as he walks.. This is just what he needs. Like his sister said he needs to get away from Boston and all the ugly memories festering there. A few months basking in the Mediterrianen sun will do him good and clear his mind and then he'll head back - hopefully a brand new person because he's worried about the one who he's become.

_ Not this again. Get out of your head. _

Lucas stops and asks a group of young housemaids for directions to the west atrium. This is after all the first time he’s ever set foot inside the massive hotel. They blush and stammer as they give him directions and he smiles at him - the polite, well trained one - and thanks them for their help. He’s seen this type of luxury before - white walls with intricate millwork and molding, glossy marble floors, large windows to allow the mediterrianen sunlight to pierce the remotest of corners. He bypasses the busy foyer and heads down the corridor that opens up at the cavernous atrium. It’s stunning if not a little repetitive - more white marble and more natural light coming in from the skylight overhead. But he’s mom was right, there is something that interests him in the middle of the sprawling area.

A smile spreads and Lucas walks over to the massive saltwater aquarium, three times his height and nearly half the width of the atrium. Its colors are all the more brilliant and neon in the sterile whiteness of the marble cavern. Honesty he never expected to see such a display here of all places. It’s almost too modern for the setting. 

Lucas loves it. 

Fish of all shapes and sizes swim above coral that color the bottom of the massive tank. He comes to a stop inches from the glass feeling small and insignificant in the presence of sleek grey sharks and tiny jellyfish. He loves that feeling. Loves the feeling of being in awe of what nature made and what humans are capable of harnessing. That’s exactly why he’s becoming a marine biologist. 

The longer he looks the more apparent the tank and it’s scaly citizens need help. The care for such a large scale aquarium is staggering and his heart gives a little jolt at how much help it needs. Ordinary people might not have such a critical eye when it comes to this but Lucas is ticking the boxes of things that need fixed pronto. And there are a lot of boxes. 

"The meeting was weird, right?" a voice says. It’s soft and sweet but definitely masculine. 

He’s too wrapped up in his own head to realize he has company until he’s spoken to. Lucas jumps a little, face turning toward the unique voice, and swallows hard. It’s the dude from the meeting, tall and lean in his grey suit and looking all the more devastatingly handsome now that he’s looking at Lucas square in the face. Lucas isn’t short on confidence but Mr Tall and Handsome has him second guessing himself. Like, Christ, how is this dude real and working in a fucking hotel? He ought to be on the front of Vogue.

"Yeah, it was a little weird." Lucas wants to congratulate himself for stringing a coherent sentence together.

"But I understand it's an important opportunity for the new management to meet everyone and all that."

Most people looked like they were bored out of their minds to be honest. Lucas doubts anyone remembers anything his mom said. “You’re probably the only one who thinks that.”

“Does that make me the weird one?”

Lucas grins. “A little."

"I like weird." The guy nods towards the aquarium, eyebrows wiggling. Lucas’s eyes follow. "You know the tank is over 24.000 litres."

“That’s pretty impressive,” Lucas mumbles like a nitwit. Real smooth. 

“See that one?” The guy points to a school of fish. His voice is hushed but still excited like someone in a museum. “The yellow one with the black and white face? He’s my favorite. I named him Gus.”

“He looks like a Gus,” Lucas jokes in turn. “What about that one?” He points to a school of Pinatte Batfish.

“Isabella.”

“That’s a very pretty name for a very pretty fish.”

“She’s glad you noticed.”

Lucas is full on grinning now. “So you speak fish?”

“A little.”

“What about that one?” An orange and white Butterfly fish.

“Helene.”

“And that one?” 

“Nemo.”

“Oh come on. The most popular clown fish is Nemo. Be a little more creative.”

The guy giggles and it’s the most adorable sound Lucas has ever heard. Now he understands why people say they want to pinch babies. This guy is way too cute but Lucas acts quickly to get a hold of himself. “Sorry, sorry. I usually don’t have a lot of time to name all these guys.”

“Isabella and Helene will take offense to that.”

He turns to the tank, murmuring, “My apologies, ladies. I’m Eliott by the way. It’s good to meet you.”

Lucas shakes his hand, happy to find out he can keep his grip firm. “Lucas.”

If they look at each other a little longer than necessary it’s nobody's business. “Do you know who manages the aquarium?” he asks after a moment when their hands finally fall away. 

“That would be M Lecomte.”

“Could you take me to him? I need to speak with him about repairs.”

Eliott's eyes go round. "So you're here to work with the aquarium?"

“Work?" It takes a hot second for Lucas’s brain to catch up. "Oh, I don't work here. I’m Lucas Lallemant.”

“Oh shit!” A deep blush takes root in Eliott’s cheeks and Lucas knows he didn't mean to blurt out the curse. “I mean...shit. Well I feel stupid now.”

Lucas chuckles. “Don’t worry about it. Now about M Lecomte."

* * *

  
  
  
  


Eliott’s a dumbass. A huge, fucking dumbass. Why did he even think Lucas was just an employee and not the son of a multi-millionaire? Did he somehow miss the fact his sunglasses were Gucci or the shiny gold rolex strapped to his wrist? Jesus fucking christ.

He takes him behind the scenes to M Lecomte's hidden work area the level below the atrium like he was asked. He’s fond of the old man and suddenly a little protective because he doesn’t like the grim look that comes over Lucas’s face. There's not a hint of the breathtaking, toothy smile left on his face. Luckily the old man is there, tinkering away at something as on old TV plays a football game that he’s only half paying attention too. Around them the tank’s filtration system whirls deafeningly. 

“M Lecomte?” No rely. Eliott clears his throat and repeats himself, louder this time. “ _ M Lecomte _ ?”

The old man visibly jumps before turning around, spooked. Behind his thick glasses his eyes are pale, skin pale and sagging. He once had been a big bear of a man but time has whittled his frame and stooped his shoulders. 

“M Lecomte, this is…”

Lucas steps forward sharply and holds out his hand. “Lucas Lallemant, sir.”

“Lallemant.” He says his name slowly, looking as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. “Lallemant, eh? Any relation to our new mistress?”

“I’m her son. Eliott tells me you manage the aquarium.”

M Lecomte stares him down. “I do. So what?”

Eliott wants to shrink away from the harshness in M Lecomte’s voice but Lucas holds his own. He squares his shoulders and straightens his spine. He’s a good head shorter than the old man but clearly he's not bothered by it. “How long has it been since it was cleaned? Where is your team?” Lucas fires after question after question and all the while M Lecomte’s face gets redder and redder. “Why do you have hawkfish in the same tank as shrimp? Or lionfish for that matter? And there’s a shark that's nearly blind. Are there more tanks like this one?”

“No, sir. Just the one.”

“Good. Do you have any help or is it just you?”

“Just me. I might get a couple of extra hands for the season but they don’t know their heads from their asses.”

Lucas swears under his breath. “Well you’ll have me for the next 3 months at least.”

“I don’t need no help from you.”

“You will accept my help or Marie Lallemant will accept your letter of resignation before the day is up.”

M Lecomte’s jowls shake. Eliott desperately wants to step in and help the old man. If he had known Lucas was going to be such a prick he would have told him to fuck off at the tank. But now he had to take him to M Lecomte and get him all riled up and threatened to have him sacked. He doesn’t expect M Lecomte to start laughing. He laughs so hard his head rolls back and he clutches his sides. 

“My god, finally someone who knows what they’re doing,” M Lecomte exclaims practically radiating relief. “You wouldn’t know how long I asked Henri Mialaret to hire someone who actually knows what the fuck they are doing with a tank that size. He thought clean water and a good filtration system was all that you needed and the fish would just sort everything out. He was getting a little soft in the head in the end, lemme tell you, and that wife of his left him to install it without any proper research. I’ve seen more dead fish than a goddamn fisherman.”

“M Lecomte!”

“Eliott, my boy, you know I’m right.”

Eliott flounders for the right words. He loved the Mialarets like they were his own grandparents and to hear them spoken about so badly in front of an outsider riles him up. 

“Besides don’t you have someplace to be? Don’t want to dirty up your suit down here.”

Eliott knows he’s right. Lucille is going to eviscerate him for being late. “Fine,” he says petulantly. “See you later.” He marches off without so much of a backwards glance at the old man or Lucas Lallemant.

He’s right about Lucille when he gets to the front desk. Her brown eyes are sharp, lips a thin pink line, as she watches him slide up behind the front desk. From an outsider's perspective she just looks irritated but make no mistake she's livid.

“Where have you been?” she hisses through her teeth because causing a scene in the open is out of the question.

“I ran into Marie Lallemant’s son. He wanted to speak to M Lecomte.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. He’s pissed about the aquarium.”

Lucille's face suddenly changes with a soft smile as she nods at the passing guests. She’s always so good at that. Meanwhile Eliott’s mind is still reeling from his flagrant dumbassery and the confrontation in the workroom.

“What’s he got to be pissed about? The aquarium is beautiful.”

“Apparently it needs a lot of work.”

Lucille rolls her eyes. “That's just what we need. New management poking their noses where it doesn’t need to be. What does some rich fuck-boy know about fish anyway?”

“It sounds like he knows what he’s talking about.”

“Whatever. Now that you’re here and do you think you could help carry Mme Mercier’s luggage to her suite?”

Lucille keeps him on his toes for the next eight hours but that’s nothing new. It’s the start of the busiest season of the year and the place is swimming with guests who expect to be pampered around the clock. After nine months away from the grind of concierge life, Eliott’s slowly slipping back into his role. Still he can’t keep from thinking about Lucas. Unfortunately none of his jobs take him anywhere near the west atrium or M Lecomte’s work area so he doesn’t see him for the rest of the day. 

Eliott’s feet are throbbing by the time he lays down for the night. Tomorrow there will be time for boozing and catching up with the rest of the staff. Now he wants nothing more than to slip into a coma. Which might very well happen since he doesn't have a roommate this year. Another Lallemant improvement. He sinks down onto his bed, head cradled in what feels like a fucking goosedown pillow, and relaxes for the first time in hours. 

Except his brain isn't ready to call it a night so he unlocks his phone and scrolls through Instagram in a brain dead sort of daze. Already his feed is full of friends who are already partying in their rooms or down in town. Sofiane and Idriss are out on the town. Lola and Maya are on a date. And Lucille wants to know if they are having dinner.

**Eliott**

Another day

My boss was on my ass all day  😔

**Lucille**

Take me to dinner and I'll be nicer  😌

He exits out of their chat. Every summer they hook up but inevitably they go their separate ways once Eliott heads back to Paris and correspondence between them is practically nonexistent during those months. It's not in stone they are a couple yet everyone basically assumes they are which makes him anxious. He cares about her and the sex is good but he can't see them getting serious.

Eliott takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as if letting all the thoughts blow out of his mind. He's not in the mood to think about Lucille right now and he's too spun up to go to sleep just yet. On a whim Eliott searches for Lucas’s IG account. There has to be one. Every rich socialite has one, right? It’s the first hit he gets. Eliott taps  **lucallemant** and is taken to an account with 859K followers and posts in the triple digits. 

Oh, wow. He didn't expect that.

**Lucas Lallemant**

**Biology student**

**Environmentalist**

**Agent: Elisa Alexandre**

Eliott stalks the account. Because he's curious. Definitely not because Lucas has a pretty face. A pretty face with sharp cheekbones, full pink lips, and big blue eyes.

He sees photos of Paris. New York. Los Angeles. Tokyo. Bali. Beaches. Mountains. Deserts. And now the French Riviera. There are recurring faces in photos - no doubt his socialite friends - and peppered in the obvious displays of his wealth are photos of marine life. Sea turtles. Dolphins. Jellyfish. There’s even a photo of Lucas decked out in scuba gear. There's more press photos of him, tanned golden and fucking  _ cut, _ on beaches wearing shirts that say Save the Sea Turtles and World Ocean Network alongside gorgeous photos of him in well cut suits and then even more as he models for Calvin Klein. 

Jetsetter. Environmentalist. Model. Eliott wants to roll his eyes. Is there something Lucas Lallemant doesn’t do?

Eliott pulls up an older photo of Lucas swathed in a dark suit that no doubt costs more than what Eliott’ll make this summer, tips included. The guy's gorgeous no doubt about it but he's an all different kind of gorgeous in a suit. Eliott's thumb slips and he accidentally ends up liking the photo.

_ Shit _ ! Of all time to fuck up it had to be now.

He fumbles with his phone, nearly dropping it on his face, in his hurry to correct his mistake. Then he shoves his phone under his pillow, body still buzzing with the remnants of his unexpected adrenaline rush. He closes his eyes, telling himself firmly to go to sleep, when his phone finally chimes.

  
  


* * *

Lucas Lallement turns in early that night. His laptop and phone are discarded next to him and he scribbles in a notebook. He does some of his best work with his pen against paper. He jots down everything old man Lecomte told him that afternoon, what equipment needed to be repaired or outright replaced, and the cost. It wouldn’t be cheap. Or easy. But at least he’s starting to feel less worried now that he was devising a plan. He can afford a good night's sleep now because first thing in the morning he’s going to jump into a wet suit and clean the shit out of the aquarium. Literally.

Still a certain someone keeps distracting him. 

Eliott. 

He had thought about appeasing his curiosity and looking him up on instagram but realized he didn’t know his last name. Lucas hadn’t even asked and feels like a huge asshole now. It just saves him from stalking his profile and ogling that handsome face like a dumbass.

After a few morning minutes of writing Lucas puts the notebook aside and checks his phone. Leave it to his friends to blow up his messages. Even his notifications are out of control. He posted a photo on his public instagram about flying to the French Riviera and suddenly everyone wants to wish him a safe flight. He stopped reviewing those notifications a long time ago but he peeks out of curiosity. The name  **srodulv** pops up on his screen. The person apparently liked one photo and that’s all. He taps the name and it takes him to a tiny account. It’s not the typical account he’s used to seeing - a young twenty something girl enamored with his carefully curated kind of lifestyle - but it’s Eliott.

_ Hotel Eliott _ . 

Lucas stares, stunned by his luck, and scrolls through the photos of Eliott and his friends. Eliott with his insanely gorgeous selfies and artistic shots of urban Parisian life that makes him miss the city more than usual. Lucas realises he’s smiling into his phone and bites his lower lip to make himself stop. 

What’s Eliott doing looking at his insta?

_ Get a hold of yourself, Lucas. It doesn’t mean anything. He’s just curious.  _

Curious guys don’t like photos of other guys in suits, right? Unless it’s _ those _ kinds of curious guys…

Oh damn.

Lucas nibbles on his thumbnail as he helplessly returns to Eliott’s bio.

Demaury. 

His name is Eliott Demaury. 

Pretty name for a pretty face. That's all. There’s also a link to a short video on youtube called Polaris. Lucas settles back and presses play.

Eliott’s face lights up his screen and with the soft, sweet voice of his explains that he’s the writer and photographer of a series called Polaris, a photoshoot that he created as the end of year project for his first year at his university. 

Lucas is captivated. 

A man afraid of the light. A creature afraid of the dark. They come to love one another but are too afraid of the other's until they can no longer bear to be away from each other. In the end they embrace. Lucas watches it twice to appreciate the story and definitely not because he likes the sound of Eliott’s timid voice. 

Lucas goes back to Eliott’s insta and hits the follow button. Back to nibbling on his thumbnail, he measures how much courage he has left in his body. Just enough to type out a message apparently. 

  
  


**lucallemant**

Hey it's Lucas

I saw your Polaris project

It's beautiful 

That’s it. That’s all he has in him. He shoves his phone underneath his pillow like it's going to detonate. He’s overreacting. He knows it but it doesn’t make his heart stop pounding and dry his clammy hands. 

Who says Eliott’s going to see the message let alone to respond to it? No one because Lucas is most definitely overreacting. Still he flings himself out of bed, throws on some workout clothes, and hits the gym all because he messaged a boy. 

Fucking hell.

Why is he like this?


	2. Chapter 2

By mid-morning the following day Lucas is cold, wet, and exhausted. Pushing it too hard at the gym so he could clear his head of Eliott failed dismally and it only left him feeling sore. All he could think about is the unanswered message. Not that he looked or anything. He's been far too preoccupied to get hung up on stuff like that.

Ok so he might have sneaked a little glance when he scrolled through the endless list of notifications when he woke up. It's not a big deal. Eliott doesn't owe him a reply. Besides he's probably swamped. Hordes of pampered guests are moving in by the hour- so many that Lucas had to rig up a closed to the public sign at the entrance of the atrium just so he could work in peace.

When he had breakfast with his mom earlier that morning she reviewed his plans for the aquarium carefully while Lucas waited on the edge of his seat for her opinion.

"Impressive," she finally comments. "I knew you were the right person for the job."

"So you planned this all along." He really should have known.

She shoots him a playful wink. "I just know my son. But this is going to be expensive and I’m afraid the hotel has been in the red for quite some time, Lucas."

"I'll use my money.” He’s got loads of it but can’t think of anything better to put his money towards. It’s not an altruistic move. He’s personally affronted by the lack of care the aquarium has been forced to endure. "I've no issue doing that."

She stares at him, incredulous for a split second, before her lips spread in a gentle smile and her eyes soften. "You know I would never ask that of you, sweetheart."

"It's cool. I want to. It'll be a nice attraction when it's finished."

"You really love what you do, don't you?"

He does love this, Lucas has to remind himself. He loves catching sick or dying fish and isolating them in smaller tanks in the dank workroom. He loves squeezing himself into a tight wetsuit and strapping on the awkward air tank so he can scoop out shit and remnants of uneaten fish food from the bottom of the tank. It’s good to know his education in marine biology is proving to be worthwhile.

Not. He just hopes Gus, Helene, and Isabella appreciate all his hard work. 

All he wants to do is have a nice hot bath in bleach and then zone out in front of a TV as he devors anything but seafood. This is supposed to be a vacation after all. 

At least his work keeps his mind of Eliott. 

“You’re doing fine work, lad,” M Lecomte says gruffly. The old man's gotten into the habit of calling him that. It sends Lucas’s haunches sky high but he’s not in the mood to set him straight. “I got to tell you though I thought you was all talk at first.”

“Thanks,” Lucas scoffs and he packs the wetsuit away for the day. Now that the tank is mostly free of debris and the glass is clean he is ready to tackle the next part - the filter system and that requires an expert. 

“Henri would be proud,” he continues. “Of course seeing all these sick fish would break his heart but I tried to tell him I’m not good enough for the job. I managed as best I could but in the end it was like he was just throwing money down the drain.” The old man looks so torn up Lucas’s heart breaks a little. 

“I’ll do my best to help the ones that’ll live,” Lucas promises without thinking because M Lecomte looks like he’s about to get emotional and Lucas doesn't want to deal with that. To be honest He has very little hope about the life expectancy of the fish he pulled from the tank earlier. “They will have to keep out of the main tank for a while to recuperate but there’s hope. Trust me.”

Lucas spends the rest of his day tending to the sickly fish and making phone calls. A lot of phone calls to order the new equipment and find a spare technician somewhere in the vicinity. He could have had someone else arrange for a technician to come out but Lucas has serious doubts about who they could find out here. Finding someone in Monaco or Nice would be his saving grace.

* * *

Lucas messaged him.

Holy shit.

Lucas Lallemant actually complimented Polaris and Eliott's too dumbstruck to come up with a decent reply because his mind blanks and his hands shake whenever he tries.

A basic thank you doesn't seem good enough and as the minutes tick into hours the window of opportunity to reply closes. Replying now would just be weird. But it would also be weird not to reply, right? In the end Eliott stays off instagram so Lucas will just think he just hasn’t seen the notification yet. He’s busy running errands for random hotel guests that morning so he has no time to really be on his phone anyway. 

It’s the perfect plan. 

Infaillible even.

Lucas Lallemant. He can't shake the guy. Not that he's particularly eager to. He's fucking gorgeous. And that voice -deeper than expected-makes Eliott want to melt every time he thinks about him. 

Ok he's getting carried away. Just because Lucas messaged him doesn't mean he's interested but that doesn't stop Eliott’s hyperactive imagination. And anyway relationships between guests and staff are grounds for immediate termination, not questions asked, and Eliott can’t afford to lose this job. Even if the guy is super hot.

Honestly he can’t believe Lucas had reached out to him at all. Polaris is too small a project to a guy of Lucas’s pedigree. Which is a dumb thing to think but it’s true. Lucas is from a whole other world and Eliott is just a temp worker at a hotel, saving his money for when he returns to Paris in search of a permanent job. 

Ok enough thinking, Eliott, he tells himself firmly. Time to get back to work.

Eliott dives back into the fray of things with renewed vigor. The first couple of weeks are the worst with all the guests pouring in. There’s so much choreography behind the scenes to make every little thing run as smoothly as possible. Luckily Eliott’s used to the dance. Dry cleaning. Movie tickets. Dinner reservations. Eliott arranges them all as well as hopping in to help the overwhelmed porters even if Mme Marceau has told him more than once that it’s not his job. 

His shift is winding down and he’s back outside in the staff area in a little recess behind the hotel, outside the main kitchen, sucking down another cigarette. He finally has a moment to catch up with Idriss and Sofiane.

"Man, you missed one hell of a night, Eli," Idriss says. Eliott disagrees. Both his friends look painfully exhausted. Their normally pristine sous chef coats are covered in all kinds of stains, making Eliott wonder how many times they fucked up today. "But you were probably getting reacquainted with Lucille, right?"

"Nah,” Eliott says, trying to be as casual as possible. “I just had an early night."

"You're too smart for your own good, my man,” says Sofiane. "Do you want to party with us tonight? Daphne's cooking something up for the staff."

Eliott considers it. Daphne’s parties are always a good time and dancing and drinking are just the thing he needs to unwind after work and get him mind after a certain someone. "Maybe."

Something over Eliott’s shoulder causes both Idriss and Sofiane to bolt upright and furiously straighten their jackets. "Oh shit! Shit!" Eliott’s slow on the uptake until Mme Lallemant is coughing softly behind him. 

Eliott spins around, hiding his cigarette behind his back, face flushed bright red. There’s no rule they can’t smoke but still he hates being caught doing it in front of his boss. “Ma’am.”

“At ease, gentlemen,” she says, a smile in her eyes. “Eliott, could I have a word with you for a moment?”

The words launch him into a world of panic. He envisions being sacked for helping the porters again and heading back to Paris with his tail between his legs. 

God damn it.

“Of course,” he manages pleasantly before following his boss back inside. The worried looks Idriss and Sofiane give him don't offer much comfort. 

Mme Lallemant offers him a seat in front of her desk when they step into her office. It’s full of old books and cherry red wood - definitely a lasting touch from Henri Mialaret. The desk itself is nearly as long as a car. Marie sits behind it, looking all the more bosslike, and Eliott is vastly aware of his crooked tie and the nicotine on his breath. 

“I had an interesting conversation with Mme Marceau about you, Eliott," she begins. "She tells me you've recently graduated from SPEOS.”

“How did you…”

“Mme Marceau is a bevy of information about her staff members,” she fills in. "She wouldn't be a good housekeeper if she wasn't. Now I’m in need of someone with your talent, Eliott, so I have a proposition for you if you're interested.”

“Of course.”

“I'm planning to host a gala in a couple of months in the west Atrium for old and new guests alike. It will be a sort of a grand reopening of the hotel. As such I need a photographer to capture this very special hotel’s best features. I want the photos to be displayed during that gala as a sort of tribute. As you know Hôtel de Mialaret has a long history and many loyal patrons who wish to see the place thrive once more."

Eliott’s mind is blank which is funny because he can feel a hundred different questions start to bubble up out of nowhere. “Are you sure?” is the first thing he blurts out because surely there are dozens of professionals she could hire to fill the position.

Mme Lallemant chuckles. “If you would feel more comfortable showing me your portfolio, I will be happy to oblige you but I’ve already made up my mind. Tell Mme Marceau what you need and she will get it. I’ll speak with Lucille too. I want you to take the rest of the day off and take a long look at the atrium.”

“Yes, of course, thank you.” He cannot believe it. He honestly cannot believe his new boss is asking him to be a part of the hotel's rejuvenation. Him, a cog in the wheels of the great machine that is Hôtel de Mialaret. 

He makes a beeline for the Atrium as soon as he’s able too. His phone’s blowing up in his pocket and he finally takes a peek. Lucille wants to talk with him. Idriss and Sofiance want to know if he's in trouble. Daphne asks if he’s going to party tonight. He responds rapid-fire to each message.

**Eliott**  
Mme Lallement has a special job for me. 😋

**Eliott**  
You two would get fired before me 🖕🏻

**Eliott**  
Count me in Daph. I need a drink. Or 5

  
Eliott sidesteps the closed to the public sign at the entrance of the atrium. Aside from the fish, it’s empty. He’s a little disappointed Lucas is nowhere to be found. He roams the stark cavern, trying to imagine the glittering gala that was to take place here but fails. The atrium sadly has been a little neglected over the years. When was the last time anyone used this area aside from M Mialaret and his tank of tropical fish?

His phone’s going off again. This time it’s all Daphne in full party planning mode. She and her sister Lola are notorious among the staff for throwing killer parties for them to let off steam after a day of slaving away for the super rich. Now it seems like she wants to recruit him. As if he doesn’t have enough on his plate already.

**Daphne**  
Eliott I need help🥺

 **Eliott**  
😤  
What do you want?

 **Daphne**  
I can't pick up the liquor in town and Lola’s hates driving  
Can you go? 

**Eliott**  
How am I supposed to get down there without a car?

 **Daphne**  
Use a hotel van! 

**Eliott**  
Sorry this isn't a work related errand

 **Daphne**  
Omg shut up  
Will you go or not?  
I'm seriously stressing out

 **Eliott**  
Fine  
Venmo me the 💰 

A door opens and closes on the other side of the room. Then Eliott hears the tired patter of feet. Eliott glances up and sees Lucas coming towards him looking, well, looking terrible. 

"The aquarium looks great," he says, quickly sliding his phone into his pocket. Daphne can wait. 

Lucas just sighs and rolls his eyes. Ok. That's not the reaction Eliott has anticipated and he feels like a balloon that just lost all his air. "There's a lot left to do."

"Still looks better than it did the other day." He’s going to make Lucas take the compliment one way or another.

"I guess so…"

"Just so you know I got your message," Eliott interrupts because if he doesn't do it now then he never will.

Lucas stares at him like he spontaneously grew an extra head. "What?"

"On instagram. I got your message and...uh...thanks," he finishes weakly. "Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I'm just not used to people like you messaging me."

Lucas cocks one eyebrow. "People like me?"

"Yeah. You know famous people."

There's that cheeky half smile that Eliott's growing to love. "That's a bit of a stretch."

"I'm serious! You're the most famous person I've met aside from Marion Cotillard. She was here last year."

"I'm in good company," Lucas says, laughing. "Listen, Eliott, I got a request."

"Shoot."

"I need to go to town and pick up a few things. Do you mind coming with me? My GPS doesn't work out here and I'm shit with directions without it."

"Sure! It just so happens I need to go down too. There's a party downstairs tonight and I need to pick up the drinks,” Eliott prattles on before his mind can tell him to shut up. “Shit. Don’t think Daphne wanted me to tell you about that.”

“Why?”

“You might nark on us,” Eliott teases. Not that staff parties were off limits but getting wasted on the property wasn’t exactly acceptable behavior if even they were off the clock as far a Mme Marceau was concerned.. 

Lucas rolls his eyes. “I don’t nark.”

“Fine then we're having a party in the basement and I’m inviting you.” Eliott already knows Lucas’s answer. People like Lucas don’t mix with people like Eliott but still it’s nice to ask anyway. Lucas has done nothing but work since he got here and maybe a night with Eliott’s crowd might do him some good. His friends aren’t posh by any stretch of the imagination but he suspects Lucas would appreciate the company nonetheless. “You don’t have plans do you?”

“No. Not really. The fish are probably sick of me."

“Good then you’ll come, right?”

“Ok. That sounds like fun." He checks his watch. His gold Rolex watch that Eliott doesn't want to know the cost. "Give me half an hour then meet at the front. I'll drive us down."

When Lucas said he'd drive Eliott didn't think he'd be waiting for him out front with a shiny new Lexus convertible. Eliott stops in his tracks, feeling like a scrub in his ripped jeans and t-shirt - he’s technically still on the clock but Lucas had messaged him to dress casually. Lucille tossed him a glare when he passed by the front desk, still irritated that he had been pulled away from his regular duties. Eliott doesn’t care. An evening playing guide to a handsome outsider is a win in his book any day. And if that handsome outsider is Lucas then all the better.

Eliott stands in the grand entrance and gapes. He doesn't know anything about cars but he can tell this one is expensive. Hella expensive.

"Well come on," Lucas says. He's leaning up against the car, smiling and looking gorgeous in a pair of fitted jeans and a pale blue button up shirt. Blue is definitely his color. He needs to wear nothing but blue for the rest of his life. "What are you waiting for?"

"I just wasn't expecting," Eliott gestures vaguely to the car, "this."

"Don’t you know us famous people like to travel in style?”

Eliott’s face goes red. Now he realizes how dumb he had sounded earlier. Hopefully Lucas won't hold it against him for long. Lucas opens the passenger door casually and Eliott hesitates. Shouldn't he be the one opening the door. "Get in. If you're thinking about opening my door you can forget it."

"Okay okay." Eliott climbs in, all 178 cm of him, and finds in white interior surprisingly roomy, especially with the top down to let the warm breeze ruffle his hair. Lucas slides in on the other side and starts the car. The engine actually purrs.

"So how do I get down to town?"

Eliott has the way memorized and dutifully spouts off directions. A song comes on over the radio as they drive through the front gates. Lucas coos and cranks up the volume. Bohemian rhapsody by Queen.

"I love this song," he says. His fingers are already tapping along to the beat.

Is there anyone in the world incapable of loving this song? 

"What kind of music do you listen to?"

"Probably stuff you haven't heard," Eliott replies. His taste in music is unique to say the least.

Lucas sends him a sideways glance. "You don't strike me as a hipster. They always say shit like that."

Eliott wouldn't label himself a hipster. "Ok fine. I’ve gotten really into dubstep."

"I've kinda heard of that before. Do you have any on your phone? Can you play me something?"

Eliott digs out his phone, connects with bluetooth and scrolls through his Spotify library until he finds a song he likes. "You ready to have your mind blown?"

"Yup. Hit it."

Instantly the heavy bass pours from the speakers and Eliott starts to bump his head enthusiastically and mouths along to the lyrics while Lucas just stares, face unreadable. After a moment he turns it down so the music isn’t as deafening anymore. The bass still vibrates through the car. He fully intends to hear Lucas say he hates it. 

"So what do you think?"

Lucas sends him a cheeky smile. "I like it."

"You're such a liar."

"No really. I like discovering new things."

"Well I got a whole library of new things."

“Great. How long till we get to town?”

Cap-d’Ail is swarming with busy tourists who want to get out from the grand shadow Monaco tends to cast. They are here every year but Eliott can easily slide past them and find booze and cigarettes in under ten minutes. Lucas parks the car and checks his phone. 

“So do you want me to get you anything in particular?" Eliott asks. "What kind of beer do you drink?”

Lucas shifts in his seat, teeth peeking out to bite on his lower lip. “I don’t drink,” he murmurs.

He says it like it’s going to be a revelation to Eliott but it just rolls off his back. He’s best friends with two guys who don’t think so what’s a third? “That’s fine. I can make you a killer shirley Temple or a virgin mimosa.”

“Funny.”

Eliott giggles. “I’m serious. What do you want to drink?”

“Shirley Temples are fine. Let’s meet back here in, say, half an hour?”

* * *

The staff party is in full swing by 22h30 but Lucas is nowhere in sight. Lola and Daphne roped some guys into moving the free-standing counters in the kitchen off to the side so there would be space for people to dance which they did. There are even more people crowded in the hallway outside the kitchen, dancing and talking and generally relaxing after the long day. Eliott helps behind the makeshift bar, playing bartender because Lucille keeps trying to tug him onto the dancefloor. Not that he doesn’t want to dance. He loves to dance but Lucille has never been this clingy before and it’s far too loud to tell her he doesn't like it. So he keeps his head down and works. 

If he sneaks a jello shot in every now and then because he's sulking then so be it. He tried telling himself not to be disappointed but he had looked forward to seeing Lucas tonight - maybe a little less tense now that he had a break from the aquarium work. Eliott even dressed a little nicer for the party and dug out his silver rings and earring because he knew they made him look cool. 

“Eliott, my man, why the long face?” Sofiane asked, coming up behind Eliott and capturing him around the waist with an arm. He’s been glued to the dancefloor all night with Imane. 

Eliott tries to shrug him off. “It’s nothing.”

“Is it Lucille? She’s been glaring daggers at you all night. What did you do?”

“Nothin’,” Eliott murmurs, speech slurred slightly. “I just don’t feel like dancin'.”

A look of incomphrension clouds his face. “Sorry that’s a concept I don’t understand.”

“Of course not." He knows Sofiane is just joking but Eliott’s not in the mood. "Look, Sof, Lucille and me, we’re just casual, you know? But I think she wants to get a little serious and I really don’t.”

Sofiane immediately sobers up. “Shit, man. I didn’t expect that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.” He continues on, not really wanting to drag the mood down any further. “Can I fix you something or what?”

“Is there any orange juice left?”

“There’s always orange juice for my best friend.”

“That’s me, right?” Idriss says, grinning as he pulls up next to Sofiane. 

“Dumbass. You wish.”

Idriss covers his heart with his hand and staggers back. “Ouch.”

“You get cranberry juice.”

“Yuck. Pour that shit down the drain, Eliott. No one likes cranberry juice. Why did you even buy it?”

Eliott loves his friends. Loves them like they are brothers but the moment Lucas steps inside the kitchen he can’t think of anyone else. He’s cleaned up since their drive to town and sports dark jeans and a blue t-shirt stretched tight over his broad shoulders. He’s a good head shorter than Eliott but he’s fit. Like fucking fit. And he looks so good.

Really, really good.

“Eliott? Hello, Eliott?”

“Huh?”

“How much did you drink tonight, buddy?”

“None of your business. Listen, I got to go. Get your own drinks.”

The two watch Eliott leave, twin looks of disbelief on their faces. “Fine. We see how it is. Can you believe this fool, Sof?”

“He’s a damned disgrace.”

Eliott will apologize to them tomorrow but right now he just wants to talk with Lucas. He doesn’t know why he wants to so badly. Maybe it is because people have begun to notice his presence and have started to sober up. Or maybe it’s because of that soft, lost look in his eyes as he scans the crowd, only stopping when he catches Eliott’s eyes.

“Hey, you, I was starting to think you wouldn’t show.”

“And miss this?” Lucas’s grin, lopsided and cheeky, appears. “Never.”

“You want something to drink?” Lucas looks around at the crowd of uneasy faces, looking just as uneasy. “Or do you want to get out of here?”

“I think they want me to get out of here.”

“Fuck 'em. Let’s go.”

They are back in the Lexus and Eliott’s head is swimming from too much sugary alcohol.

“Do you know how to get to the closest beach?”

Eliott gets them there only with a few mistakes. Lucas parks the car and climbs out without a word. The calm and quiet of the beach is a welcome experience from the noise of the party. Off in the distance waves lap lazily at the shore. Lucas walks towards it as if magnetized and Eliott can only follow. They settle down close to the undulating water, slip off their shoes, and dig their feet into the sand.

They are quiet for a long while as they take in the expansive view in front of them.

“Lucas?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s the one thing you want to do with your life?” Eliott asks because how can anyone sit by the ocean and not ask big questions? “What’s, like, your biggest, wildest dream?”

It takes a moment for Lucas to reply. Either he's trying to come up with an answer or he’s thinking if Eliott’s the right person to tell his secret too. Eliott hopes it’s the latter. He inexplicably wants Lucas to trust him. “I want to get a big boat after I graduate and sail around the world.”

Eliott slaps the sand, absolutely thrilled by the thought. Just because he’s drunk doesn’t mean he can’t recognize a good idea when he hears it. “Then do it!”

There’s bewilderment in Lucas’s eyes as if had been expecting Eliott to say the exact opposite. “Really?” 

“Fuck yeah! That’s a great idea. Best idea I ever fucking heard, Lucas. Nothing but you and the sea and no one for miles around bitching at you. I’d do it in a heartbeat if I were you.”

“You’d give up everything and sail around the world? Just like that?”

Eliott nods resolutely. What did he have back home? A tiny apartment, two disappointed parents, and no job. “Yeah,” he says. “Fuck Paris.”

A rueful smile tugs Lucas’s lips. “Don’t you think it would be lonely?”

“Not if I was with you. I wouldn’t be lonely at all.”

“You’re coming with me now?”

“I’ll be your first mate!”

Lucas laughs, full on laughs, and it echos around them. It’s a beautiful, vibrant sound. “I’ll text you when I get my boat, ok?”

Eliott throws an arm around Lucas’s shoulders and drags him close. Their bodies bump together and Eliott holds on a little tighter because it feels nice that Lucas is so close. Nice and natural. Like two magnets drawn together. “We’ll make a good team.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. I have to let you know now that I'm a terrible swimmer.”

“Just make sure you don’t fall out of the boat.”

“Does that mean you won’t come rescue me?”

“No, I’ll rescue you.”

"Promise?"

"Yes. Unless there's a shark then you're on your own."

Eliott shoves him away. "Fuck you, Lallemant."

* * *

Lucas doesn’t know when they return back to the hotel. It feels like they’ve been gone for hours but as soon as they start to head back then it feels like only minutes have passed and Lucas aches to go back to the water with Eliott. But it’s late and they both have jobs to do come morning so they need to leave. Down in the basement the party is over. Lucas helps Eliott to his room to make sure he gets there safely and doesn't fall asleep in the closest stairwell.

“I said I’m ok," Eliott whines even as he leans on Lucas, tipsy and sleep-eyed. His limbs feel like lead and he can’t wait to climb into his bed. 

“I know. I just want you to be safe.”

“I’m not a baby.”

“You’re talking like a baby,” Lucas snaps back.

“Babies don’t talk.”

Lucas snorts. “Just let me walk you to your room, ok, Eliott?”

“So you wanna know where my room is, eh?"

"You're really annoying right now,” he huffs, all but shoving the taller guy into his bed. He lands in a pile and Lucas isn’t exactly contrite about his rough handling. “Good night, Eliott.”

“Nighty night. See you later, alligator.” He’s snoring before Lucas closes the door behind him. 

Back in his room Lucas flops on his bed, spread-eagle, looking up at the ceiling stretching out before him. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he'd meet someone like Eliott. He's absolutely hot with his smoldering eyes and tattoos but is also unmistakably kind and sweet. A guy chock-full of the best kind of contradictions.

He didn’t scoff or tease Lucas about his dream of traveling the world. Rather he encouraged it. A lot. That’s something Lucas never expects. With anyone.

Plus Lucas feels safe in his company. Like Eliott’s presence is some magical blanket that Lucas can wrap around himself and burrow in if need be. It made leaving the beach all the more harder because it meant they had to part ways at the hotel and who knows the next time they would have the chance to hang out like that again. 

He grabs his phone and pulls up srodulv on instagram and follows the account with his private one.

**blu.lulu**  
Hey, Eliott  
This is my personal IG 

Lucas doesn’t add please follow me but, God, he hopes Eliott gets the message. He hates his public account. It’s nothing but a PR move anyway - something shallow and lifeless and devoid of his personality to appease the enthralled masses. With his private account he’s free to be himself. If he makes a fool of himself (which he does a lot) only his friends will know.

And now there's no going back. He's in trouble. He's so in trouble. 

He nibbles on his thumbnail. It's hard to pinpoint what he feels at that exact moment. A rush of excitement as the prospect of Eliott seeing this other side of Lucas but there's a knot of anxiety coiled up in his stomach so he closes instagram and pulls up his text messages from Manon. He types one out with a heavy sigh.

**Lucas**  
I'm in trouble  
I think I fell in love 


	3. Chapter 3

  
  
  


* * *

He gets the news from Daphne. There’s going to be a couple more guests staying at the hotel - the young and handsome kind - and they're apparently friends of Lucas. 

"Manon's coming too!" Daphne is practically vibrating with excitement. Eliott can only stare at her blankly. Should he know who this Manon chick is? 

Daphne deflates a little. "You have no idea who I’m talking about, do you?"

“Nope.”

“Really?” She actually sounds surprised. “I thought you were Lucas’s friend.”

Friends? With Lucas? That’s a bit of a stretch, Eliott thinks. They’ve only known each other for a few days and have only hung out a couple of times. And followed each other on Instagram. And Eliott, in a drunk stupor, told him to live out his dream of sailing the ocean...Fuck. Is that friendship qualifying material? To someone like Lucas probably not.

"Manon is Lucas’s twin sister,” Daphne continues. “I follow her on instagram. She's so gorgeous and fashionable. I can't wait to meet her!” She pulls out her phone, taps on the screen a couple of times before she sticks it right in his face. It’s an instagram page of one hell of a pretty woman. Daphne scrolls through the feed. “She’s pretty, right? And look at her outfits. She’s so chic. I wonder what she'll be wearing."

She’s talking as if they are fast friends. Eliott doesn’t have the heart to pop her bubble by reminding her that Manon will probably not get too chummy with the staff. Daphne’s always been enamored by the lives of the hotel guests as if they’re all part of her personal soap opera which drives her younger sister crazy. Meanwhile he's still reeling that Lucas has a sister. And a twin no doubt. Of course there had been no reason for Lucas to bring her up in front of Eliott and Eliott didn't feel the need to google information about Lucas’s life even if he was curious to know more about him. 

That'd be weird. 

Still it feels like he ought to have known. 

Eliott gets back to work. Aside from looking through Lucas’s personal instagram (which  _ isn't _ weird) he doesn't get a chance to see Lucas in a while. And it sucks. This side of Lucas is endearing. He’s obviously much more of a goofball than he lets on and Eliott likes this new side of Lucas - the one with the weird facial expressions as he poses with his friends in random locations, the photos of him sightseeing in Boston in a blue beanie that makes his eyes stand out all the more, no brand name items to reveal his pedigree. He’s just an ordinary college student in these photos except every once and a while there’s a photo of him surfing in Bali and Eliott has to keep from staring because it’s basically porn. Lucas is so fit the phrase rock hard abs was invented just for him. Seriously how is someone like Lucas even real?

How Eliott got so attached to someone so quickly is bewildering but it just feels  _ right _ . Like he was meant to meet Lucas in this hotel cradled between Nice and Monaco in southern France. And without having Lucas around he realizes how empty and colorless his life has become. How long has it been since he'd been inspired to come up with another idea for a photo series let alone to pick up his camera? Now all he thinks is how Lucas would be a perfect muse.

Fuck. He's really got it bad.

He manages the front desk in the morning, perfectly presentable in his gray suit and combed hair with his head somewhere in the clouds, wondering what Lucas would be up to today. Lucille quietly slides up next to him.

"When you're finished M Richard needs you to arrange his dry cleaning."

"Finished with what?"

Lucille's dark eyebrows raise. "Oh so you heard me? Funny. It looked like you were on another planet just then, Eliott."

Eliott wants to ask what her deal is but the lobby is buzzing with guests so he swallows his irritation for the time being and keeps his face neutral. "I was just thinking."

"You're not paid to think."

Lucas would never say anything like that. He probably would ask what he was thinking about. "You're not paid to be a bitch," he snaps back, voice soft but venomous, before he can eat his words.

Lucille glares at him. "Excuse me?"

There's a commotion at the front entrance that saves them. Three young men and a woman in a billowing white sundress have arrived. She quickly separates herself from the group, obviously not wanting to be seen with the trio who are squawking excitedly and drawing a lot of attention to themselves from the other guests. Eliott is no stranger to spoilt youths with their parents’s money but he recognizes their faces immediately. They are Lucas’s friends.

"Good morning. I'd like to check in please," the young woman says politely. She's very pretty beneath the wide brim of her hat. Photos of Manon Lallemant do her zero justice.

"Of course," Lucille says smoothly. "Last name please."

"Lallemant. Manon Lallemant."

Lucille freezes for a split second but her mask never slips. "Welcome to Hôtel de Mialaret, Mlle Lallemant."

"Manon is fine."

"Of course,” Lucille says smoothly. “I'll show you to your private quarters."

"Oh, you don't need to bother. I’m sure you’re going too busy with those morons,” she jokes, pointing toward the trio. “Just point me in the right direction and I'll find my way."

Lucille activates a key for the top floor of the hotel - management's residence that no one is allowed to enter unless personally handpicked by Mme Marceau - and hands it to Manon. "Take the elevator to the top floor. I'll have someone bring in your bags."

Manon flashes a dazzling smile. "Thank you so much,” she says before spinning on her heels and walking off. Whatever he thought Lucas's socialite sister would be was definitely not that. Honestly the Lallemant siblings never stopped surprising him.

"Eliott, why are you stalling? Go get her things."

He nods his head, grateful to escape Lucille's wrath for the time being. He knows he'll catch it later but now at least he has time to come up with a decent apology. She deserves it. Yeah she's been getting under his skin a lot lately but she's his supervisor and maybe girlfriend. He's never snapped at her like that before. His cheeks are still burning red when he gets outside with a trolley to unload the taxi of Manon's designer bags. 

She's waiting for him by the elevator and gives him a shy smile. "I didn't know if you would be able to get up there since it's private," she says, side stepping so he can maneuver the trolley inside.

This isn't how most guests interact with the staff. "We have keys but thank you."

"No problem!" She hits the button and they’re off.

Manon wanders in aimlessly when the elevator doors finally open. "Oh this is just lovely!"

And it really is - all cream colors and heavy antique furniture - but it’s the huge, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the sea that takes precedence. It’s one hell of a view.

“You can just leave the trolley there if you like. I’ve no idea even where to begin finding my bedroom.” There’s a tray of refreshments in the center table. She pours two drinks and offers one to Eliott. “Don’t worry. It’s just lemonade.”

Ok, this is definitely new but Eliott takes the glass dutifully and sips. Manon lounges on the closest sofa, removing her hat, obviously in no rush to dismiss Eliott. She pats the space next to her and Eliott sits. If Lucille saw this she'd probably have a heart attack, but he can't think how to turn her down politely. “So tell me, Eliott, where are you from?"

"Paris."

Manon’s delicate face lights up. "I knew it! You have the accent. Did you move down here for work?”

"No. I'm just down here for the season and then I'm going back."

“I’m so jealous! I haven’t been back home for months. It always hurts to be away from Paris for too long but I knew that would happen the moment I was accepted to college in London. But one more year and I’ll be back before I know it. What keeps you busy in Paris, Eliott?”

He doesn’t know why Manon's taking the time to ask him so many questions but she’s so easy-going and genuinely curious he answers them without thinking. “Photography mostly.”

“That sounds wonderful. My mom tells me she wants you to shoot some photos for the gala. You must be very, very good.”

Eliott lets out a little laugh, embarrassment flooding his face with color. His brain can’t form a proper response aside from, “I’m decent.”

“Marie Lallemant doesn’t hire decent," she tells him. "She only hires the best.”

* * *

  
  


When Lucas asked for Manon to help him he didn't expect her to book a flight the very next day or bring his friends along. But that's Manon for you. Always there 100% no matter what. And over the last couple of months that's exactly what she's been doing for Lucas. 

When she sees him in the atrium she pulls him into a big hug. He's been working all day and feels gross as hell but he hugs her tight to him anyway.

"I saw him," she says with a little smile when they pull apart.

"Who?"

"Your Eliott."

His good mood sours. "He's not  _ my Eliott. _ " Ok, he doesn’t like the sound of that but whatever. He squishes the thought down quickly. 

"He seems nice," she continues sweetly, completely ignoring him.

"He is," Lucas replies without thinking. "I mean he has to be."

"I can tell when people have to be nice, Lucas, and when people are truly nice. Unlike you who thinks everyone is just acting."

Lucas shrugs but doesn't correct his sister. She just smiles at him, slips her arm around his, and tugs him out onto the balcony so they can watch the ocean below. "So it's him, isn't it?"

Lucas feels like a moron for reacting so quickly. How long has he known the guy? A couple of days and he's acting like he’s ready to fall in love. Which isn't the case. Lucas decided months ago that he’s never falling in love again. The pain isn’t worth it. A guy isn't worth being peeled off the ground, stinking of your own vomit, because you drank too much to forget him. Except, a small voice says quietly, maybe this time could be different?

"Yeah,” he admits with a sigh. “It's him."

Manon smiles widely, eyes twinkling and warm. "I've got a good feeling about him. He's…"

"Nice?"

"Yeah. I'll let you know what else I find out about him, ok?"

"I didn't ask you to come down here to do recon for me."

"Then what did you ask me to come down for? To save you from feeling anything ever again? Lucas, you know that's impossible."

"I know. It's just that…I'm scared, ok?" His first relationship had been an utter disaster that left his heart and confidence in pieces. It was nearly a year ago since he finally got the courage and left Charles but once bitten twice shy, right?

"For what it's worth he doesn't seem like the Charles-type."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh you know. Spoiled. Arrogant. Rude."

That was only the tip of the iceberg. Charles's undeniable charm and easy smile hid the darkness inside him from view until Lucas was in too deep to tell the difference between love and possession. "You didn't think he was like that when you first met him."

"Neither of us did," Manon comments sadly. She squeezes his hand. "One day you're going to remember how fun it is to live and be in love with the right person, Lucas. I promise."

He wishes he could have an iota of her naivety but instead he just feels the weight of his past bearing down on him and his spirits sink down low. "I won't hold my breath."

* * *

  
  
  


* * *

Another long day. Another blister to add to the collection on his feet. With a sigh Eliott flops down on his bed, and seriously considers going to bed except it’s still pretty early and he hasn't had dinner yet. At least his shift is over. No more waiting on people. No more dodging Lucille and the apology he needs to give her. 

Eliott strips his tie off and jacket off. Then fiddles with the cuff links only to have one fly off and land on the ground with a tink. He sighs. The damn things are so small and hard to find. He slides off the bed and onto his hands and knees to look for the little bastard. He runs his hands around the closest area - nothing- before dipping low to look under the bed. He slips a hand under and feels for the link. Instead he comes across something small and squarish. He grabs it and pulls it out. A wallet. And it’s not his. 

Sitting back on his heels, he opens it and sees credit cards and cash. A lot of cash. Ok this definitely isn’t his. He finds the license and sees a familiar face. Lucas Lallemant.

Why would Lucas’s wallet be here? Then it clicks. The night of the party. He must have dropped it when he helped Eliott to bed. Fuck, that was days ago. 

Eliott hops up, quickly changes, and hurries out of his room.

* * *

  
  
  


If Manon kept his mind on Eliott then his friends kept his mind off of him. It's impossible to think of anything besides his foolish friends when they were all together. They got Lucas. They understood his quirks, his sense of humor, and egged him on accordingly. It doesn't take them long for them to rope Lucas into showing them the hotel's Olympic sized pool.

“Fucking hell! Look at this pool!” Basile explains far too loudly, already in his swim trunks, arms held out wide as if to encompass the expanse of the pool. “It’s gigantic!”

“Dude, shut up.” Arthur, sweet Arthur, always there to reign Basile in when he got to be too much. “Why are you acting like you've never seen a pool before?”

“Why are you acting like this isn’t amazing? Last one in is a rotten egg!”

Lucas is seconds away from chasing Basile into the water when he hears a familiar voice behind him. “Hey.”

Lucas falters and whips around, eyes wide, heart full of white-hot panic. Eliott. He can feel his mouth hang open, struck dumb for a split second as Eliott waits to be acknowledged with a little smile. Lucas clears his throat, trying to calm himself, and murmurs, “Hi.”

Can his friends see how shaken he is? Can they tell how Eliott makes his heart race? He wasn't ready for them to find out about Eliott. Not after Charles. Not after all they went through to pull Lucas out of his darkness.

“You forgot this the other day,” he says, pulling out his wallet. Shit!

“You found this in the atrium?" He jumps in hastily before Eliott can say anything. "Thanks, man. That's cool.”

Eliott’s smile is almost mechanical now. “You’re welcome, M Lallemant."

“He seems nice,” Arthur comments as Eliott walks away without so much as a goodbye. “Who is he?"

“No one,” Lucas replies, feeling like a huge asshole.

Unfortunately Arthur won't drop the subject, irritating Lucas further. “What do you mean no one?”

“He just works here, ok? He has like no friends so he talks to me. I don’t know how he found my wallet. It's Ike he’s stalking people.”

“Well it's totally normal,” Arthur points out. “He found it, saw it was yours, and gave it back. It’s not like he’d keep it.” 

Lucas keeps quiet as he drops his things off on a nearby chair. He just wants to get in the pool as quickly as possible and forget the disappointed look in Eliott’s face or the cool way he had dismissed him. He watches Eliott walking away, heavy hearted and fully aware he had fucked up.

* * *

  
  
  


That was weird. 

That was weird and unexpected and it left a bad taste in Eliott’s mouth that could only be washed away by a night on the town with Lucille later that week. Maybe they weren’t friends after all. Maybe Lucas didn’t want to socialize with him in front of his wealthy friends. Eliott knows he shouldn't let it bother him so much but it hurts. He blames himself because he obviously had made their connection out to be something it wasn't.

Time to get back with his own crowd.

So Eliott takes Lucille out for dinner as a way to make it up to her for being such an ass to her. She’s gorgeous, all dressed up for him, her eyes soft and dewy in the candlelight as if the friction between them over the last couple of days has never existed. 

It was easy to get lost in this Lucille, to go through the motions on autopilot, so booking a hotel for the evening feels like second nature. It's just like old times. But Lucille’s hot mouth against his, her hands stroking his body into a fervor that never comes, doesn't feel right. In fact he doesn’t feel a damn thing and eventually he pushes her away.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Eliott sits up and hides his face in his hands. Why didn’t he want this?

“Eliott, it’s ok,” Lucille says gently, pressing a kiss into his shoulder. She wraps her arms around him and holds him close, their bodies slotted together perfectly. 

“It’s not.”

“Babe, maybe it’s the medicine? I’ve read that it can interfere.” It always comes down to his medicine with Lucille and honestly he hates it.

No, it's not his medicine. Not by a long shot but Eliott’s too chickenshit to face the truth. He’s not into her. There’s someone else. Someone who apparently doesn’t give a shit about him and it makes Eliott feel awful. “Yeah. Maybe," he mutters anyway. He just needs some time. Time to forget and time to remember that it’s Lucille who he wants. That’s all. 

They stay at the hotel for a couple of hours before Eliott decides he’s better off sulking in private. Lucille tries her best to console him but the words go in one ear and out the other. He’s not in the mood and he can feel his patience drain away every second he’s with her. She deserves better. He gives her a goodnight kiss on her cheek, signalling the end of their depressing night, and heads back to his room. 

He plans on having an early evening but strangely enough Manon wants to chat with him on Instagram.

**manon.lallemant**

Hey, Eliott 

We’re in the movie theater. Please come!

**srodulv**

Can I have a rain check?

**manon.lallemant**

No

please I'm begging

The boys are so annoying

Plus there’s popcorn

**srodulv**

Ok but only because you have popcorn

Can I bring some friends?

**manon.lallemant**

Of course! 

The more the merrier

Idriss and Sofiane give him shit for being so distracted lately but they forgive him when he tells them about the invitation. The trio slip inside the theater and the two groups mingle like they’ve known each other all along. Lucas’s friends are high as hell so that probably helps. Eliott hangs back, quiet, feeling guilty for intruding on Lucas like this. He doesn’t think he can handle a repeat of their last encounter. 

Manon however won’t let him sulk. She wraps her arm around his and drags him into the thick of things, demanding him to pick the movie. Eliott keeps his attention on her. There’s no way he’s going to let his eyes wander to Lucas though seeing his face wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen

Eliott looks through the catalog slowly and picks a movie even Manon approves of. Everyone settles in their seats with bags of warm popcorn while Eliott disappears inside the projection booth to ready the reel of film. It’s surprisingly old-fashioned but there were some things the Mialarets liked to keep traditional. Eliott personally loves it and takes a few minutes longer than necessary to sit up in the box and watch as the movie begins below, lulled by the sounds of the spinning film. 

* * *

  
  
  


If Lucas is distracted it's all Eliott’s fault. One minute he's talking with his friends, ready to forget the fiasco at the pool, and then Eliott walks into the theater and suddenly Lucas can't breath. Manon catches his eye as she settles Eliott down beside her. 

"I don't see why we can't watch Ghostbusters," Basile grumbles around a mouthful of popcorn.

"Because we're not 12 and you've already seen it a thousand times," Yann complains. "Now shut up and eat your popcorn."

Lucas tries to follow the flow of their conversation but he can't keep his eyes off Eliott who's busying himself with Manon and the movie catalogue, obviously trying his best to lay low. Then he gets up and heads out and Lucas’s eyes inevitably follow that tall, lanky figure until it disappears from view.

"You all right, man?" Yann whispers in his ear.

"Uh yeah. Just going to run to the bathroom." He hands Yann his popcorn and leaves. He finds his way to the projection booth, swallows his pride, and slips inside. He hates Eliott's dour mood and the fact his own actions are the root cause of it.

He softly shuts the door behind him. “Hey."

“Hey.” It’s Eliott's concierge voice this time - perfectly professional and civil. Perfect for any interaction between a staff member and the son of the hotel owner. 

Lucas licks his dry lips. He'll never get used to just how good looking Eliott looks close up especially in his street clothes. “Look," he starts, trying to focus. "I’m sorry about before. At the pool. I…”

“Don’t worry about it, ok? I get it. Get back to your friends or you'll miss the movie.”

Lucas hesitates. He hates that he's unable to fix this rift or whatever it is between them. He hates that he's so bothered by it and he just wants it fixed immediately. “So we're cool, right?”

"Yeah. Of course."

"Great. Do you want to come down?"

"I'll stay up here for a bit."

"Oh, ok. I'll see you later?"

"Yup."

And then just like that Lucas’s feet are moving, pivoting his body around and out the door, his heart a heavy weight in his chest. He wishes it was just as easy to forget Eliott as it was to leave him but it isn't.

  
  


* * *

  
  


It’s funny how one’s world can shrink down to a 15cm rectangle. If his friends expect him to join in the conversation they are sadly mistaken because Lucas can’t keep his phone done. He made the mistake of looking at his instagram notifications, saw that  **srodulv** had posted something new, and spent the entire time waiting for their lunch scrolling through Eliott’s account, alternating between hating himself and missing Eliott. They've been at odds even since the pool incident - Lucas wanting to apologize and Eliott brushing him off cooly. It's been the longest month Lucas has ever had to endure. When he's not preoccupied with his aquarium work, he's entertaining his friends with trips to Nice and Monaco. Still his brain won't stop thinking of Eliott and that fake persona he's hiding behind.

“Something the matter?” Yann leans over to ask, his dark eyes locked onto Lucas’s phone who wasn't quick enough to shut the screen off.

“Nothing,” Lucas mutters, hoping he’s coming off casual.

Yann doesn’t buy the facade for a second. “That's the guy Manon invited to the theater. Is he a friend of yours?”

A pause while Lucas considers the question. Were he and Eliott friends?

Arthur tugs Lucas’s phone away from his hands without any shame, unlocks it because he knows the passcode by heart, and inspects it with Basile leaning over his shoulder.

“You are sure he’s not some sort of model?”

“Man, if I wasn’t straight…” Basil sighs.

“If you weren’t straight, he’d still be out of your league,” Arthur laughs.

“Oh totally," he agrees wholeheartedly. "A guy can dream though, right?"

Lucas's face is hot as he asks for his phone back. “If you break it you’ll have to buy me a new one.”

Arthur hands the phone back to Lucas who notices there's a new update. Eliott’s posted a story. As discreetly as possible he taps the circular icon because he cannot hold himself back and the story pops up.

Eliott’s gorgeous face with his morning stubble and bleary eyes fill the screen, making heart pine. His voice is soft and scratchy from sleep as he says good morning before turning the phone around to capture a little cake while his two friends from the movie night serenade with an off-key rendition of Happy Birthday.

The camera turns back around and all Lucas could see what Eliott’s shy grin that turned his eyes into happy crescents and his heart ached with jealousy.

That's it. Today is the day he'll make Eliott accept his apology.

"You look like a man on a mission," Yann says. 

"I'm thinking of throwing a party tonight."

Yann immediately perks up. "Nice!"

Lucas forces a shrug. "What do you think about renting a yacht in town and have it out on the water?"

"Sounds amazing."

"Might invite some of the hotel staff too."

Basile's eyes light up. "Do you think I can invite Daphne?!"

"Sure."

The pile into Lucas’s Lexus and drive to town after lunch. He's gotten a lot better at navigating the terrain. Still the winding, narrow roads are a little off putting. 

They park on the outskirts. Lucas leaves his friends to round up food and drinks. Fireworks too if they can find any. What's a birthday party without fireworks? Lucas heads to the marina. With a town full of wealthy tourists with money to burn there has to be a place to rent a yacht for the night. He’s right and he takes out his credit card to rent the biggest yacht they have to offer. Not that he thinks it'll impress Eliott or anything.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


* * *

**lolahydri**

Happy birthday loser 

**srodulv**

Thanks 💕

**lolahydri**

So apparently there's some kind of party tonight

Daphne just got the invite from Basile you know the dude she's been crushing on?

He told her to bring her friends

Want to go?

Eliott stares at his screen. Isn't Basile one of Lucas’s friends? If he's going to a party then Lucas might be there. Suddenly his room feels too small. He needs to get out and it's his birthday so fuck it. He's going and he's going to enjoy himself. Even if it meant just sneaking little glances at Lucas and pining like a sad son of a bitch.

**srodulv**

I'm in

**lolahydri**

**🍻**

In the end Lola swaps a van key and Eliott drives everyone into town, certain it will be an interesting night. 

"We need to head to the marina,” Daphne says. She’s dolled up with a face full of makeup and a new dress. Eliott thinks she looks stunning. “Apparently Lucas got a yacht for the night."

Of course he did.

The city lights reflect off the calm waters and everyone makes their way down the deck. Eliott assumes they're headed to the only yacht blaring music and strung up with dozens of ropes of fairy lights. A perfect party yacht. The mingling group has swelled to enough people for Eliott to blend in with Idriss and Sofiane and not even think of looking for Lucas.

Fate didn't stick to his plan however.

As they approached the yacht Eliott spies a lone figure standing by the gateway. 

Lucas.

Their eyes meet almost instantly before Lucas looks away and invites everyone on board like the perfect. Daphne flashes a smile and hurries on to find Basile. She must be on cloud nine.

"What are we? Just chump change?" Lola grumbles.

"No. Worse than that. We're scrubs," Maya, Lola's girlfriend, says with a smile. "But at least these scrubs will be at one fucking awesome party tonight."

Eliott's the last of the group to board. He's trepidation of being on the water is put on the back burner when he comes face to face with Lucas. It seems like forever since they've started to avoid each other and, damn, if it isn't bittersweet seeing him again. He looks good. He always looks good but tonight much more than usual and Eliott can't handle it. Straight up cannot handle it.

"Hey," Lucas says quietly. "I'm glad you made it."

"Thanks for the invite."

Lucas smiles, soft and warm, and Eliott’s eyes are glued to his face. "No problem." He nods to the yacht. "Come on."

"Uh...yeah. Sure."

"Have you been on one before?"

"No. Not really my thing." Or price bracket.

"It's safe. Besides I'm a good driver."

"You're going to drive this thing?"

"Yeah. We're not just going to sit in the harbor. Unless you want to?"

Why does it matter what he wants? It's not his party. "No. It's all good, man." There it is again. That impersonal address and it leaves a bad taste in Eliott’s mouth. Why can't they go back to the night when it was just the two of them on the beach? It was so easy then. Easy to be with Lucas. On the yacht he wondered which Lucas he'd get.

Sofiane supplies him with a bottle of beer when Eliott joins the group. Lucas had disappeared inside the bridge while every mingled out on the deck. There was a little wobble and they we off as Lucas slowly eases the yacht into the open water. Luckily the night is calm with a clear blue-black sky and the big round moon above. 

"This really beats our birthday party," Idriss comments.

"Eliott, you need to get richer friends because this is hella nice."

Eliott rolls his eyes. "This isn't for me."

"Too late. I'm already imagining it is. Happy birthday, baby." Sofiane plants a big, wet kiss on his cheek.

They head out a little more. The cool breeze floats around them as they travel over the black water and Eliott sips his beer, watching the town get smaller and smaller. Eventually Eliott can feel them come to a stop and Lucas appears at his side with a cup of juice in his hand.

"You ok?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've got a death grip on the railing."

Is that why his hand hurts? He pulls it away with effort, his joints all locked up, and flexes his hand slowly. 

"I hope it's not because of my driving," Lucas jokes.

"No. I just don't have a pair of sea legs yet."

"Hurry up and get them. You'll need them when we sail the world."

"Oh yeah? That's still on?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

Eliott shrugs. Now that it seems things are back to normal (whatever normal is for them) Eliott doesn't want to mention the past week. "You might want to find a crewmember with more experience."

"You'll be fine."

They fall into an easy silence, lulled by the steady slap of waves hitting the side of the boat. The party seems miles away even if it is just on the other side of the deck. It's just Lucas, Eliott, and the sea in this particular corner and he doesn't want to leave it anytime soon.

"Happy birthday by the way, Eliott." Lucas had said it so softly he could have missed it.

Eliott turns his head and stares down at him. "How did you…" 

Lucas shrugs. "Instagram. I saw all your stories. Honestly did you get any work done today?"

Eliott’s smile is conspiratorial. "Not really. Appreciate it if you didn't tell my supervisor."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Just enjoy your party."

"What? My…"

There's a roaring boom overhead, followed by a shimmer of multicolored lights. Fireworks. Damn. Lucas’s crowd does not mess around. Overhead one goes off after the other. 

Eliott’s too occupied to know who made the first move. Maybe a rogue wave jarred the yacht a little too much causing Eliott to lose his balance. Maybe Lucas had intentionally brushed his fingers against Eliott's as their hands hung at their sides. Either way Lucas’s fingers are intertwining with his - gentle and shy in case Eliott wants to brush it off as an accidental touch. Eliott bites his lip, too afraid to say anything or else risk breaking the spell, and slots his fingers between Lucas’s. He stands with his face towards the sky, holding onto Lucas’s hand like it's his anchor.

  
  


They stay out for hours. They're hands fall away from one another after the fireworks but Eliott's fingers still tingle front the unexpected touch. The wind gradually picks up and it's too chilly to stay. Lucas leaves him for the helm again and takes them back to the marina. His friends talk around him and probably to him but Eliott can't concentrate. The only thing that circles around and around in his mind is Lucas. 

"Dude, how much have you had to drink?" Idriss says on their way back to the van. Was Idriss talking to him?

"Not a whole lot. Why?"

"You are totally out of it."

_ I'm in love,  _ he thinks but what comes out is, "I'm just not used to being on a boat."

"That wasn't a boat. That was a swank ass yacht. Get it right."

Lucille is in the back, hanging out with a group of friends. Eliott’s stomach drops. He doesn't want to see her right now. Or ever. All he wants is to find Lucas.

She smiles when their eyes meet. Her eyes are bright, drunk. "Hey, birthday boy!"

"Hey." He forces a smile. She gets up from her seat and comes towards him. 

There's a car driving on the gravel. It stops and familiar voices drift across the courtyard towards Eliott’s ears. Feet crunch the gravel. The voices come closer. Then Lucille is wrapping her arms around him and kissing him square on the mouth. His skin crawls.

"You were out late. I missed you."

His mind blanks. He doesn't want to cause a scene in front of everyone so he mumbles, "Missed you too."

Eliott doesn't have to look around to know Lucas has seen everything.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas is most definitely not nursing a broken heart the following morning. He was just in a foul mood because he spent the entirety of last night tossing and turning. Certainly not because Eliott played him like a fool. 

His mom slamming a magazine onto the table under his nose makes him jump. "Look at this bullshit," she fumes overhead, distracting him from his darkening thoughts.

Lucas does as he’s told. It’s one of those sleazy tabloids. He’s all too familiar with their bullshit. This one in particular liked to drag his name through the mud when he had hit rock bottom after he broke it off with Charles. This time it’s target was none other than his mom..

_ Hotel mogul's secret mental illness! Scandal and drama behind closed doors of the beloved Hotel de Mialaret! _

"Another gift from your father," she seethes through her teeth.

Lucas can feel his own anger flare up like a wildfire. "He can't get away with this!"

"Oh, he won't. I've already contacted our lawyer. It'll be removed by the end of the day but the damage is done I'm afraid. The staff already found this trash."

Ever since their divorce Lucas’s father has been bent on ruining his mom's career. Months following their separation, tabloids bashed Marie mercilessly but she pushed through with a spine of steel and an army of the best lawyers money can buy. But a story had never broken while she was in the middle of a new project and with the gala less than a month away Lucas is suddenly afraid how the staff will accept the news of their boss' mental health. They don't know that she's been stable for years. That she's proactive about her mental illness. All they will see is her schizophrenia and will act with ignorance. It happens all the time once people get wind of it.

Suddenly Lucas’s own problem doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore. He looks up at his mom. She's grim and determined but her blue eyes filled with the inevitable worry. She's all too familiar with how people will treat her now. He reaches over and squeezes her hand. It's trembling slightly. "It'll be ok, mom. So you want me to contact dad?"

"Manon already did. If he can hear after she screamed at him I would be very surprised."

Lucas rolls up the magazine, intending to throw it in the trash where it belongs before heading off to the atrium. “Do worry, mom,” he says getting up to kiss her cheek. “This will blow over. I promise.” He’s going to keep his ears open the rest of the day. If he hears any gossip from the staff he’ll squash it right then and there.

* * *

  
  
  


It’s lunchtime when Daphne hurries over to Eliott and Lucille, eyes too bright. Obviously the girl has gossip. The juicy kind and she’s dying to spill. "Look at this!" She squeals, dropping a magazine down between them on the table. "It's about Mme Lallemant!"

Eliott looks down and feels his stomach plummet. Lucille makes a noncommittal noise before unfolding the tabloid to actually take the time to read the article, surprising Eliott. Gossip isn’t typically her thing.

"Can you believe it?" Daphne asks. "I never would have thought. She seems so put together."

Eliott's discomfort grows, spreading from his stomach to his extremities. Aside from a close group of friends, no one else knows about his disorder and now he’s glad never told more people. "It's not like people with mental illness look any different than other people," he grumbles quietly.

"I know that,” Daphne insists, flushing pink. “It's just surprising, you know?"

"Not really," he says, standing up abruptly. He doesn’t want to blow his cool with Daphne because she’s a sweet girl with a heart of gold but he can already feel irritation growing into something else.

"Where are you going?" Lucille asks.

"I'm not hungry. I'll see you later."

Eliott ducks around the corner but pauses for a moment to catch his breath. The conversation continues in whispers behind him.

"It is surprising but also, like, nice to know that people with mental health issues can become so successful, don't you think, Lucille?"

"And divorcing a rich man probably has nothing to do with her wealth or success, right?" Lucille mutters sarcastically. 

"What do you mean?"

"She was practically a nobody when she married Jerôme Lallemant. With a diagnosis like that it's hard to imagine how she would do without anyone's help."

"Schizophrenia doesn't mean you live a normal life," Daphne points out. "I mean there's treatment for it, right? Besides we don't even know if it's true. It's just gossip like Eliott said."

"I just don't see how someone like her can run a hotel."

“You guys talking about the tabloid article?” Idriss interrupts. There's a sound of chair legs scraping against the floor as he joins the girls. “Better watch out. Alex will freak if he finds you brought this into the kitchen. Mme Marceau is writing people up if she finds them even talking about it. Doesn’t want guests to overhear.”

Daphne quickly rolls up the magazine and stuffs it out of sight, eyeing Alex worriedly. 

“Not that I believe a word of it,” Idriss continues as he scarfs down his lunch. “It’s all trash anyway. Even if it’s true, who the fuck cares? There’s a reason she’s a multimillionaire and we’re just hotel workers and it doesn’t have to do with whatever mental illness she may or may not have.”

“Aren’t you a little concerned that she might, you know,…”

“Might what? Go crazy? Run around the hotel naked or something?” Idriss chuckles to himself, shaking his head. “I don’t think for one second Mme Lallemant would do something like that. But if you do then you ought to ask yourself why. It’s 2021. People are allowed to have a mental illness and make something of themselves. I thought you knew that, Lucille."

Eliott’s too disgusted to stay put anymore. After three years he's finally uncovered Lucille's prejudices and it hurts. So what the fuck is she doing with him? Before he can leave Lucille nearly bumps into him. She almost jumps back, guilt shining in her eyes.

"Eliott! I-I didn't know you were still here…"

He tries his best to stay calm but the words come out swiftly before he can even think. "We're done, Lucille. With everything." He turns on his heels and walks away.

Lucille catches up with him. "Eliott, you can't just dump that on me and leave."

"Yeah well maybe I'm being manic and saying shit I can't help?”

Lucille rolls her eyes. "Don’t say stuff like that. You're perfectly fine now."

"And so is our boss."

"You don't know that. Just because you have it under control doesn't mean she does."

"Stop it. Just stop it. I said we’re through, Lucille, and I mean it. Now leave me alone."

She stares at him, cold and calculating. " _ Are _ you alright, Eliott?”

“Jesus, Lucille.”

“Are you already planning on dating someone else? Is it him, Lucas?” When Eliott clams up, she scoffs. “Have you read anything about him? He’s a recovering alcoholic at 22. That's fucked up. You don’t need someone like him in your life.”

“Maybe not,” Eliott says, “but maybe he needs someone like me.”

“Are you kidding me? How many jobs did you apply for in Paris? How many called you back? None. Face it, Eliott. Lucas doesn’t need someone you and you’ll spend your entire life trying to play catch up to him but it’ll never be enough. You’ll never be enough. So forget about him. He’s nothing but trouble. The whole Lallemant family is.”

Eliott can't take it and marches off without another word. He stops by his room long enough to tear off his suit and grabs his camera. He’ll be damned if he’s stuck inside the stifling hotel with Lucille breathing down his neck, in the company of other staff members gossiping about their boss’s secret. 

He gets wrapped up in his work. He’s not sure exactly what Maire wanted him to photograph for the gala, so he spends their first part of his afternoon getting reacquainted with his camera. The practice shots are rudimentary, impersonal, and easily forgotten once deleted. He moves away from the hotel, deciding the light was good enough for scenic shots. The hotel was built upon a rocky edifice, overlooking the sea, and there were several secluded lookout points holed away in the gardens in the back of the hotel. The air is cooler and quieter out here and Eliott can feel himself start to calm down. 

It’s a good thing he broke it off with Lucille, he tells himself firmly. Just as he expected, it always comes down to his bipolar disorder with her. Just like with his parents. He should have ended it sooner because now he doesn’t even know how to make it up to Lucas. Surely holding hands last night had some sort of meaning to Lucas.

He’s ruminating in his own mind, camera forgotten for a moment, as he slowly walks down a garden path. It’s just him, the vivacious plants, and rolling the ocean below. It feels totally disconnected from the busy hotel behind him. Maybe that’s why Marie chose this place to hide out. She’s sitting in one of the secluded lookouts, eyes fixed on the yawning blue sea below, cigarette in hand, but a million miles away. He’s all too familiar with that look. 

Mme Lallemant suddenly, visibly pulls herself out of whatever reverie she was experiencing, and notices Eliott. “I heard you played hooky today, Mr. Demaury,” she admonishes without bite.

He grins at her. “Thought it would be best to start on your project.”

“Oh? Well let’s see the fruits of your labor, shall we?” She holds out her hand and he dutifully passes her the camera. She’s quiet as she moves through the photos, contemplating each one. 

He sits down across from her. “I don’t know exactly what your idea is so I just took pictures of everything.”

“They're good,” she determines. “I love the history of this hotel, Eliott. That’s what I want to see captured on film. I want the gala to be a celebration of this place and the guests, old and new. Even the staff members. This place would be nothing without you.” The sigh she lets out is deep and sad. “I just hope it doesn’t flop now.”

Eliott wonders if her funk has anything to do with the tabloid article. She would have to have her head in the sand if she missed it. A woman like Marie probably has assistants or a secretary looking out for any kinds of scandals that could ruin her. 

“It won’t. I promise.” What does that really mean? What could Eliott possibly do to make sure the event isn’t a loss? He’s just a temp worker. Still he feels a connection with her if the rumors are true. “Lucas has done a fantastic job with the aquarium. I’ll take the best photos ever and put them on display and they will wow everyone.” That earns him a small smile. “Plus you don’t know how excited Alex is about the menu. He’s changing it all the time. Whipping up recipes every day and making us try them. I think he has enough planned for a 10 course meal if you don’t put your foot down now.” 

Mme Lallemant laughs outright now, and the sound is clear and happy. 

“What I mean to say is whatever people read today doesn’t mean a thing to them,” Eliott finishes quietly. “They love the hotel as much as I do. But more than the hotel, they love each other. And you’re one of us now.”

“Thank you, Eliott.” She smooths out her suit and stands up nice and tall. “I should talk with Alex. I don’t think a 10 course meal is exactly what I had in mind.”

“You’ll break his heart.”

“He’ll live.”

He shoots until the sun hangs low over the iridescent ocean below. He's spent hours outside, ignoring everything else but his camera. His phone is loaded with missed text messages from his friends by the time he looks at it. They can continue to be ignored for a little while longer because he doesn’t yet want to end the peace of the afternoon. It’s been magical, reconnecting with his passion and realizing that yes he’s still good at it. It gave him a much needed break from reality too and he isn’t too keen on reentering it. But there's someone he needs to talk to. 

The hotel's huge so there are innumerable staff passageways to cut through the building, trying to work out how he'll approach Lucas in his mind. He takes one that directly leads him past a big pool reserved for VIP guests. It’s quite late now, nearly past dinnertime so he’s positive no one will be out there to disturb. 

He’s wrong.

There’s a body floating in the pool. A man in blue trunks, arms and legs spread lifelessly as the body bobs face down in the calm water. Eliott moves before his brain can react. Sitting his camera aside, he dives in. Colder than expected, Eliott comes up sputtering and flailing as fast as he can to get to the person. He wraps his arms around the body and heaves them up with all his might, praying it wasn’t too late. He doesn’t expect the body to fight back.

“What the fuck are you doing?!”

Eliott drops Lucas and backs off as quickly as the water will let him. “What the fuck are  _ you _ doing? I thought someone had drowned.”

Lucas glares at him, brown hair plastered to his forehead. “I wasn’t drowning. It’s just how I relax.”

“How you relax?” Eliott echoes lamely. The adrenaline is draining from his body, leaving him weak and shaky.

“Yeah. And now I am very much not relaxed.”

“Sorry for coming to save you," Eliott snaps back automatically.

Lucas splashes him. “You should probably get going. Lucille probably doesn’t want to see her boyfriend in a pool with another  _ guy _ .”

Right. Back to reality. 

Eliott clears his throat and wipes the water droplet from the tip of his nose. His wet clothes cling uncomfortably to his frame but he doesn’t feel like he can leave just yet no matter how ridiculous he looks. “About that…”

“Have you been together for a long time?” Lucas asks, voice too casual to be casual.

“Yeah. I mean we've been on and off for a couple of years.”

“I thought so. That’s cool.”  _ You’re a terrible liar, Lallemant. _

“But our story’s come to an end," Eliott says. "We’ve been going to circles for a while and I don’t want that anymore."

Lucas nods, blue eyes betraying nothing. “Like being in a relationship?”

"Well yeah. I like being in a relationship.” 

“So you can already picture yourself with another girl?”

“Yeah, sure,” he says, taking a deliberate step forward. Lucas doesn’t move. He just stares up at him with his big baby blue eyes, pink lips slightly parted. “Not necessarily a girl though.”

_ Ball's in your court, Lucas. _

Lucas swallows hard and licks his lips. Eliott watches the movement like a hawk. If he thought Lucas was hot in clothes, he’s drop dead gorgeous in just swim trunks. He’s all golden skin and lean muscles and Eliott is completely enraptured. He watches Lucas’s hand slowly come out of the water, palms forward, fingers slightly curled, looking up at Eliott with a shy, uncertain look. Without thinking about it, Eliott slips his fingers between Lucas’s before they step toward each other, colliding into one another to grope and kiss like they’ve been meaning to for  _ years _ . 

It feels good. It feels good and right to feel Lucas crushed against him in the pool. To feel his lips against his. To feel his hair sliding between his trembling fingers as he cradles the back of his head. It’s like something clicked inside Eliott and all he can think, taste, and feel is _ Lucas. _

* * *

  
  
  
  


If they still in the pool any longer then they are going to end up shriveled as raisins. Or worse caught so Lucas makes the executive decision to leave and take Eliott back to his own suite. He certainly wasn’t going to kiss him and then just send him on his merry way. That would be impossible. 

Eliott’s soft giggles are infectious. “Are you really sneaking me into your room?”

“Well yeah. Unless you’d rather say good night now?” Eliott plants a loud kiss on his cheek in reply. “Ok well neither do I.” After what feels like forever he finally manages to open the door to his suite. They tumble inside the dark room, lose their footing and nearly end up on the floor. Lucas is laughing so hard he can hardly stand. 

“Stop laughing!” He jabs a finger into Eliott’s side, making his giggle harder.

“I’m trying!” He makes a valiant effort but it’s wasted.

Lucas wraps his arms around him, pulling him close so Eliott’s giggles can vibrate through his body. He kisses his neck. “Fuck, you’re cold. I’ll get you a towel and something else to wear.”

He retrieves one as well as a pair of clothes for him to borrow. They’ll be on the small side but Eliott’s so ready to shed his wet things. Lucas towels down in the bedroom and changes out of his swim trunks into a shirt and sweatpants while Eliott occupies the bathroom. He sits down on the edge of the bed, not sure what to do. Now that he has a moment to himself he doesn’t know what he should do next. He just knows he wants Eliott to stay with him.

Food. Food is always a good, safe option. He hasn't had dinner yet anyway. 

He grabs the room service menu, looking it over when Eliott appears, hair wild, dressed in clothes a size too small. He nevertheless still looks as amazing as ever. He smiles wide with the same lips Lucas had kissed not too long ago and joins him on the bed. “What are you looking at?”

“Room service menu. Are you hungry?”

“Totally,” he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“For food.”

“I  _ was _ talking about food.”

Lucas’s lips quiver with a suppressed smile. “Sure.”

They curl up together and look over the menu. Eliott gives him recommendations which he takes. One telephone call and their meals are ordered so they settle back down on the bed. Lucas reaches for the remote and turns the TV, mostly for something to do. He's suddenly nervous but touching Eliott feels nice and settles his nerves.

"You've got a weird way of relaxing."

"What?"

"In the pool. Floating face down like that."

Lucas looks contrite. "Yeah...sorry about that. I didn't think anyone would come walking by. I'm glad you did though."

"So you could give me the biggest scare in my life?"

Lucas digs his elbow into his side. "That's not what I meant."

It feels like Eliott’s heart is about to burst and he beams at Lucas, unable to keep his happiness inside. He'd like to kiss Lucas again and again and again and as his eyes settle on Lucas’s pink lips there's a polite knock at the door.

Lucas gulps but doesn't move an inch. "That's our food," he whispers lamely because the space is actively closing between them.

"I can go get it?" Like hell he will - would it even be possible to let him go right now - but it's polite to offer.

"In a sec."

Their lips meet again, soft, gentle, and desperately eager which makes Lucas wonder how long Eliott had sat back, wanting him. The thought fills his tummy with butterflies. A world where Eliott wants him...what a concept.

Eliott’s hands are his Lucas’s damp hair, pulling him even closer to deepen the kiss. He makes a soft hum and Lucas is bound and determined to hear the sound again.

There's more knocking and, with the temperamental frown, Lucas pulls back. "I guess they can't take the hint," he mutters and goes to collect their dinner.

He's only gone for a matter of minutes but he isn't ready to miss him so deeply. He wants Eliott back in his arms. He wants to kiss and touch and to never part for a long, long while. He had forgotten how consuming infatuation is.

But was it really after all this time was it really just a simple case of infatuation? 

Lucas isn't ready to tackle that question. Luckily he's able to distract himself with food.

"Bon appétit."

They clink their bottles of coke together, grinning sheepishly at each other.

"Did you have the day off?" Lucas asks. "You weren't dressed in your uniform."

"Kind of. I was working on your mom's project for the gala."

"Oh right! How's that going?"

"Great. It's nice to get a break from hotel life."

"I can imagine. Do you like being a professional photographer?"

Eliott shrugs. "Yeah but it doesn't necessarily pay the bills. I do a lot of free lance stuff back in Paris while I'm job hunting for something permanent. What about you, M Marine Biologist?"

"Just one more year and I'll have my degree. Might pick up a job after that. Might head straight into the masters program. Doctor Lallemant has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

An easy smile spread over Eliott’s lips because Lucas pantomimes doing a hair flip. "I do. Will you stay in the States?"

It's Lucas’s turn to shrug. "I don't know. I love Boston and the university but I've got a lot of not so great memories there. I really don't know what I'll do," Lucas sighes. He hates thinking about this. "But it's whatever. I'll figure something out."

"Figuring shit out is what our twenties were made for."

After they finish their meal, Eliott takes the empty plates and puts them out in the hallway to be picked up. Lucas takes the opportunity to stretch out on the bed, hands under his head, ankles crossed, after turning on the TV. It's mostly for background noise because he can't really concentrate with a hot guy strolling into the bedroom.

"Is this movie any good?"

Eliott slips onto the bed next to him. "It's decent."

They watch the movie for a bit but the atmosphere is tense like a rubber band that's being stretched to the limit. It'll snap at any given moment.

"Did you break up with Lucille because of me?"

Eliott pushes himself up on his elbow so he can look at Lucas. Unfortunately Lucas is too much of a coward to look back at him. "It was a long time coming," Eliott says quietly. "Besides I don't like what she thinks about people with mental illnesses. I didn't want to admit it for a long time and it finally bit me in the ass."

"Do you mean...did she read the story about my mom?"

"Yeah."

"Did you?"

"Just the headline. Lucas, I truly don't care if that story is real or not so don't worry about it, ok?"

Lucas crumples his mouth to the side, feeling a mile away. "It's just that she's fought all her life to be normal," he says softly, "and my dad is dead set on destroying everything she's worked so hard for because people are so fucking ignorant."

Eliott turns so he can wrap an arm around him. "I know how that feels. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 15 and I've been living with the stigma ever since. Even my parents don't understand."

Lucas’s hands caress his arm, soothing lines up and down. He can't stop touching him. "Shit. I'm sorry, Eliott. You didn't have to tell me."

"It's fine. I wanted to tell you so you know that I'm the last person to judge your mom. But your dad sounds like a real prick. I'll judge him all I want."

Finally Lucas smiles. "Go ahead. He's a piece of shit."

Parent talk puts the idea of kissing Eliott on the bad burner but Lucas is content to be Eliott's pillow as he rests his head on his chest and together they watch the movie. It gets later and later in the night and he can feel Eliott’s ’s body get more and more relaxed as his breathing evens out and deepens. Lucas turns down the TV before letting sleep take him as well.

* * *

  
  
  


Morning dawns golden and pink and they spend it nestled against one another. Legs slot perfectly, arms encircling, hands grasping and encouraging the other sleepy-heavy body closer until there's no space left between them. Shirts slip off and Eliott greedily runs his hands over the expanse of Lucas’s mole-marked chest and tummy which makes little giggle bubble up from Lucas’s throat. They're equally hard inside the confines of their briefs but Lucas doesn't make a move to do anything beyond kissing and touching above the waist. Eliott respects that boundary. There's plenty of other deliciously sensitive places to worship. 

"You're so hot it's unbelievable." Eliott whispers against hot skin, kissing everywhere he wants because Lucas lets him. He doesn’t care if he sounds dumb. It’s the truth.

Lucas snorts, tugging Eliott's hair playfully. "You're so full of shit. The first time I saw you I thought you were a model."

Now it's Eliott's turn to laugh. He's careful because his lips feel swollen and chapped and no amount of licking them helps. 

The light in Lucas’s face dims. "What would you have done if I didn’t come down here? Maybe we would never have met," he quietly whispers.

That's a sobering thought. He'd still be with Lucille and nursing that empty Lucas shaped hole in his heart, not knowing what he was missing. "I admit that it’s scary."

"It could have happened. Manon told me to get away from Boston for the summer. I didn't want to at first."

Eliott presses a gentle kiss against Lucas's sternum and swears he can feel Lucas’s steady heartbeat against his lips. "You know when I have to make a choice? I tell myself that there are two ways to take. I end up taking one because I need to decide but I’ll never know what I missed by not taking the other. It drives me crazy."

"Do you feel like you’ve taken the right way?"

"Yes of course!"

"When I have to make a choice I tell myself that there are other Lucas in other universes who have taken the next choice," Lucas whispers. "So between all the Lucases in all the universes we’ve tried everything."

Eliott has to smile. "And what are the other Lucases doing?"

He chuckles, eyes bright with humor. "Right now? There’s a very buff Lucas surfing a giant wave in Bali. There’s another one who’s in a skyscraper in New York, signing a big contract with very angry Russians."

"And what tells you that your businessman didn’t get up and threw himself from the top of his tower?"

"That's horrible."

"I don’t really believe that kind of stuff,” Eliott confesses.

"Well you’re wrong. You’re wrong because there are plenty of other Lucases and other Eliotts in plenty of parallel universes who are together right now."

Before Eliott can reply his phone decides to go off. It's his alarm telling him to get up and go to work and suddenly he’s facing a grim reality. It's jarring. He drags himself away from Lucas to grab his phone and shut the alarm off, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Do you have to leave?"

"You know what? Eliott number 452° can go. I'll stay here." He puts his phone on silent and lays back down and flops back down on top of Lucas. Slim arms come up and wrap themselves around him, holding him tight.

"Lucas 1° is very happy about this decision.”

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


* * *

It's a phone call from Idriss that finally pulls Eliott out from the warm cocoon of sheets and Lucas’s arms. He says he's been working on his project even as he rubs the sleep from his eyes, trying not to giggle as he feels Lucas run his fingertips up and down his spine.

"Yeah you definitely sound like you're real busy," Idriss mutters sarcastically.

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it, man."

"Whatever. Get your ass down here before you're sacked."

"Fine. I'll see you in a few." He hangs up the phone before rounding on Lucas, tackling him for being so distracting during the call.

"Are you in trouble?"

"Maybe. I don't care." He kisses him soundly on the mouth and then covers his face over and over with tiny kisses until Lucas is squirming to get away. "Nooo. Come back!"

"Will you get going? I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Fine." He climbs out of bed, goes to search for his clothes to change. He kisses Lucas one last time before heading out. "I'll see you later?"

Lucas is lounging on the middle, hair messy beyond repair, an easy smile on his lips and eyes dark with desire. "Yeah."

Eliott desperately wants to climb back into bed.

Eliott tries to be sneaky leaving the suite. He's successful until he sees Lola round the corner with her trolley of fresh towels and cleaning supplies. Well shit. Her eyes bulge slightly when she sees him.

"Eliott! What are you doing?" Her eyes gravitate towards the door. "Were you with Lucas?"

He motions for her to shut up. "Listen, don't mention this to anyone, ok?"

Lola's mouth falls open. "Oh my God, Eliott! You slut!"

"Shh! It's not like that!"

"Sure. And your neck just happens to be covered in hickies." Eliott covers his neck with his hands. Lola grins at him. "Need to borrow some concealer?"

"Is it bad?"

"Looks like you were attacked by leeches," she cackles.

"Oh shit." Mme Marceau will absolutely obliterate him if she saw them. 

"Come on, lover boy. I'll let you borrow some."

* * *

  
  
  


It’s mid-afternoon by the time Lucas drags himself out of bed after lounging around in sheets that smelled like Eliott, drowsy and very, very content. Still he can’t waste an entire day thinking about Eliott no matter how appealing it is. He has a job to do. He planned a quick shower before he started to think about Eliott again. Eliott rolling around with him in his bed, kissing him, running his large hands all over his body except for where Lucas desperately wanted him the most. So Lucas took it upon himself to finish the job and came so hard and so quickly he nearly lost his balance.

He’s still off in lala land when he opens the front door to find Manon on the other side, hand raised as if to knock.

“Good timing,” she greets him and sails inside. “I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

“No.”

“Oh, it just looks like you were...uh...entertaining. And you’ve got a little mark, right there on your neck.”

Lucas’s hand flies up to cover the offending mark from his sister’s stare which makes her giggle. 

“So is he gone?”

It feels like his entire face is burning. “Yeah.”

Manon makes a little squeak before throwing her arms around Lucas.

“Chill, Manon. It’s not serious or anything,” Lucas says but his heart definitely wants to be otherwise but he can’t be sure about Eliott’s feelings. If he’s just looking for a fun, casual time, Lucas can do that. He can do friends with benefits if that’s what Eliott wants and when they part ways at the end of the season they can still be friends. “He just stayed the night.”

“I’m totally chill. I’m just so happy for you, Lucas. It’s time to forget Charles and move on with your life.”

“Yeah. That would be great.” He can't imagine a world where he wakes up without thinking about the past like it was yesterday. But that happened this morning didn't it?

“Do you think you’ll tell Eliott about him?”

Lucas shrugs. “I haven’t thought about it much." Bringing up the past is definitely a sure-fire way not to have a fun and casual fling. Manon scrutinizes his face and Lucas forces a shrug because he really doesn’t want to have this conversation right now. One ex is bad enough to deal with. There’s no need to bring in a second one. “We’ll see.”

  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

It's nearly impossible to avoid Lucille since she's basically Eliott's supervisor. Luckily with all the guests traipsing around the hotel in their holiday finest, Eliott’s busy from the start of his shift to the very end so he doesn't have time to linger behind the reception desk with her. In fact everyone’s so busy there’s no downtime for the salacious tabloid to leave much off an impact on anyone. Sure a couple of newer maids were caught whispering about in the hallways but they were promptly reprimanded by Mme Marceau. Other than that things sail on like normal. 

Eliott’s time is divided between his concierge duties and prepping for the gala with an evergrowing sense of urgency. The evening is getting progressively closer and nerves are slowly chipping away at Eliott's resolve. He's been meaning to squeeze in some time to shoot more photos but his camera is still locked in its case. Why did he agree to this? The photos won't impress anyone, proving that Lucille and his parents were right to think majoring in photography was a big waste of time and money. 

Luckily he has Lucas to keep from getting overwhelmed. He sneaks away to meet with him throughout the week and keep in touch through their phones when they were apart. It's fun. And a very risky if Eliott is honest becuase basically fooling around with the son of his boss is job suicide. 

Days after his kiss with Lucas, Daphne pokes her head out from a room she was cleaning and drags Eliott inside. She slams the door shut behind them. He gapes at her with the dry cleaning he was about to drop off forgotten in his arms.

"Um...hi?"

"So it is true?"

Eliott stares at her, immediately suspicious. "What did Lola tell you?"

She rolls her eyes, hands on her hips. "We're sisters, Eliott. She can't keep anything from me. Do you know  _ anything _ about Lucas?"

He really doesn't like the sound of her tone. Normally when she gets ahold of new juicy gossip she looks fit to bust until she corners an unsuspecting target to divulge the gossip. 

"I know enough," Eliott says, defiant. 

"Look I don't want to start anything…"

"Then don't."

"But I'm worried,” she says, eyes pleading for him to listen. “Lucas isn't that good of a guy."

Huh?

"What do you mean?"

"He dated a really famous actor, Charles Munier - do you know him? He's the new James Bond. They dated for like a year and were  _ the _ IT couple. They were everywhere. Movie premieres. Fashion shows. Red carpet events. It was ridiculous! Anyway after they broke up there were suddenly all these horrible stories everywhere about how abusive Lucas was and how much he drank and Lucas  _ never _ defended himself. He just disappeared from the public eye for a while."

"Daphne, stop. Do you seriously believe all that? Have you met Lucas?"

"I have, Eliott, and I just don't want you to get hurt by someone like that. You know how these kinds of people can get."

Eliott’s immediate response is to come back swinging by dening all those terrible allegations but, yes, he does know how bad the super wealthy get when it comes to other people. Eliott's people. The people that don't matter at the end of the day. They are just the nameless help. A means to an end. And nothing lasts forever with them no matter what promises spoken in the heat of the moment.

"I appreciate your concern, Daphne, but Lucas isn't like that," Eliott replies but the lack of conviction is notable.

She stares at him, eyes worried. "I hope you're right, Eliott."

Their conversation eats at him all day. When he can't take it anymore he takes his phone out in his room and types in Lucas’s name into Google. He hits search, feeling both dreadful and massively intrusive. He doesn't know what he'll find but it feels so wrong to do this. Like a violation of trust. But Eliott has to see for himself what Daphne had talked about. Surely there was an explanation for all this. 

The realization that Daphne's been right all this time leaves Eliott gutted and confused.

Hit after hit portrayed Lucas as some sort of reckless degenerate socialite who abused a loving boyfriend and before doing a stint in rehab. No site seemed credible however. They were all a bunch of celebrity gossip sites but still there were countless photos of Lucas obviously drunk and confrontational with paparazzi.

This is wrong. This is so wrong.

He closes Google, disgusted with himself. Whatever the public thought of Lucas - it’s wrong. There has to be a plausible reason behind the bad press. Lucas-his Lucas-wasn't like that. He saves sea turtles for christ sake!

But still. 

Lucas had never stepped forward with his side of the story to clear his name. He just disappeared into his studies, hoping the world would forget about him for a while. That doesn't sit well with Eliott.

His phone buzzes.

**Lucas**

What are u up to?

**Eliott**

Just got off work

**Lucas**

Do you want to grab a bite to eat? I'm going to try a new place in town. My treat.

**Eliott**

Today was rough

I'm just going to bed

**Lucas**

Ok maybe another time

Have a good night

He feels like shit as he puts his phone on mute and shoves it under his pillow. Is he overreacting? Should he ask Lucas about his past? Or has he dodged a bullet thanks to Daphne's interference? 

What the fuck is he supposed to do now?

Confusion strips Eliott of his meager supply of energy and he ends up collapsing onto his bed, exhausted mentally and physically.

He just...he just has a lot to think about and when he's with Lucas thinking is the last thing he wants to do. He doesn't have the kind of luxury Lucas has when it comes to their sort of relationship. If they are caught he'll get fired. If he gets in anymore deeper he'll get his heartbroken because he knows he can't say no to Lucas.

Better just to keep his distance and his head clear for now. 

* * *

  
  


**Lucas**

We're at the movie theater

Want to join us?

**Eliott**

Sorry

I already have something going on

**Lucas**

Maybe another time?

**Eliott**

Sure

* * *

  
  


**Lucas**

Everything ok?

**Eliott**

Yeah 

Why

**Lucas**

You've been quiet

**Eliott**

Work's just a lot right now

* * *

  
  


* * *

Lucas stares down at his phone, browsing Eliott’s instagram, numb to anything else except the smiling face. The bickering voices of Arthur and Basile were drowned out as they play a video game on the floor in front of the huge TV. It had been his idea to invite them over but he still can't get Eliott out of his head or the phone out of his hand. Somethings wrong with Eliott and he just doesn’t know what but he’s fearing the worst whatever that may be.

"Hey, man," Yann speaks up his spot on the couch. "Do you have any more coke?

Lucas shakes himself out of his funk and looks away from his phone for the first time in an hour. "Aren't there anymore in the fridge?"

"I finished the last one. Come on."

They leave for the stainless steel kitchenette and Lucas pulls open the fridge door to double check its contents. Double rows of coke bottles greet him. He snatches one and holds it up to Yann to inspect the bottle with his own eyes. "Are you serious?" 

"What's the problem?" Suddenly drinks are the last thing Yann wants to talk about as he leans against the counter, unfazed by Lucas’s attitude.

Lucas bits his tongue. He doesn't like the question at all. "There's no problem." 

"All you do is mope around now. Don't tell me there's no problem."

"I don't mope. This has nothing to do with you, ok?"

"Charles hasn't tried to contact you, has he?" There is real worry in Yann’s dark eyes.

"What? No!"

"Fine. Then you think I can't help you? Are we friends or are we just pretending, Lucas?"

Lucas’s heart feels like one big bruise. Yann means so much to him but it doesn't feel right to come out with the truth and risk disappointing his best friend again. Maybe he's just meant to be a gay disaster for the rest of his life. "I promise you if there was a problem I would tell you. I swear. I just want to have a good time with my friends, ok?"

"Ok sure. We'll play next round. I'll even go easy on you."

"Appreciate it, man."

"Hey, guys! Daphne says there's a party going on downstairs," exclaims Basile, suddenly in the doorway. "Let's go!"

Dread knots up Lucas’s stomach but he keeps his face blank. He's well aware of Yann’s eyes on him. "Um...it's cool if you want to go. I just want to stay in."

"Come on! It'll be no fun without you," Arthur argues. "We haven't done anything for days."

If they were going to one of Daphne's parties there might be a chance he'll meet Eliott there. For a moment excitement flutters in Lucas’s heart before he forces it away. He had felt this way before and it turned out badly. Why did he always get so hung up on the wrong guys? Still the desire to at least get a glimpse of Eliott is undeniable and has him agreeing to go.

God, he's pathetic.

They let themselves in. It's dark, the music is booming, and people are already happily drunk so they don't pay them any mind. Basile hurries off to find Daphne, Yann and Arthur immediately disappear to the makeshift dance floor, and Lucas stalks over to the bar to occupy himself with a drink, covertly looking around the room to see if Eliott’s here. God, he feels like a stalker. There's a reason Eliott's been avoiding him. It's just that it hurts after the night they had spent together. Was Eliott the kind of guy who just wants a quick hookup? The Eliott he thought he knew didn't seem like a player.

Lucas is really trying to talk himself off the ledge. Then he spies Eliott's tall, slim form through the dense crowd, talking and drinking with someone in the corner. The world comes to an abrupt standstill. Lucas's heart gives a terrible lurch. Lucille appears out of nowhere, touches Eliott’s arm to get his attention. She whispers something in his ear, and together they leave.

Lucas is completely gutted and blindly stumbles out of the party, leaving before he tells his friends he's ditching them. He wants to throw up. He wants to cry. But mostly he wants to hit something.

_ Lucas, you're a fucking fool. _

Before he knew it he had pinned his hopes on another miserable piece of shit and got wrapped up in a fantasy concocted in his head. Eliott doesn’t care about him. He probably never cared. He probably never even broke up with Lucille either.

It wasn't until he's safely locked in his room that he balls a hand into a fist and slams in against the door. Once, twice, three times until his hand aches and his knuckles are busted open and bloody. He cradles his hand and slides down the wall unto his ass. The flash of anger is gone and now he just feels hollow and numb.

Seriously. Fuck Eliott.

* * *

  
  


**Lucas**

U awake?

I can't sleep

**Manon**

Want to come over? I'm just watching tv 

**Lucas**

K

* * *

  
  
  


Manon opens the door at Lucas’s quiet knock and quietly leads him to the living room where the TV is playing a crime show that he hasn't been paying any attention to.

They settle on the couch, wrapped in fuzzy throws, quiet as church mice. Lucas's head finds a spot on her shoulder as he sinks down into the couch, ready to zone the fuck out and forget all about Eliott.

For a while they just stare at the TV, the blue light washing over them.

He's been such a damn fool. And it's just so damn exhausting holding this all in all the time. He needs a break because things can't continue like this for much longer.

Manon's gentle presence acts like a balm he needs and tears are welling up in Lucas’s eyes before he can stop them. They slide down his cheeks silently, lips pursed together to keep the sobs at bay. 

Beneath the covers, Manon finds his hand and holds on tight.

* * *

  
  
  


Morning dawns pink and lavender and Eliott stares at the horizon in a stupor, coffee forgotten in the moment. Why the hell is he up at the ass crack of dawn on his day off? It literally feels like he's dying especially since he hadn't slept very much the night before thanks to Lucille's shitty apology that did nothing but piss him off.

"Move it or lose it, baby boy," Sofiane shouts with so much enthusiasm that Eliott visibly cringes. "Gotta get to the beach before the tourists do."

"Come on," Idriss says much more calmly, giving eliott a playful shove towards one of the hotel vans they were allowed to borrow for the day. He's got the keys jingling in one hand and a cooler in the other. 

Eliott follows and slips into the back of the van, babysitting the coolers of food and drink they had swiped from the kitchen and the borrowed surf boards to make sure they didn't move around and ding the interior. 

Sofiane tags his fingers against the dashboard, bouncing in his seat, and Idriss turns the engine over. "Hurry up! Hurry up!"

"It's too early to be this annoying, bro."

'I can't help it! I've had like four cups of coffee already and an espresso. I'm going to surf until I pass out."

"Which will be in like an hour."

"I'm not an amateur like  _ some _ people."

Said people is Eliott but he doesn't take offense. He's not athletic by any stretch of the imagination but he likes to sit on the board and ride the gentle waves. Idriss and Sofiane can handle the rest.

"By the way, thanks for coming out with us, Eliott," Sofiane continues.

"He means it's been a while since we did something," Idriss points out drily. "Like just the three of us."

"Listen I said I was sorry," Eliott whines. "I got caught up with some stuff but it's fine now."

"You sure?"

"You know you can talk to us if you need to, right? We happen to care about you. That's what friends are for."

"I know."

Sofiane turns his big brown eyes on Eliott, looking pensive. "Is this about Lucille because I still think you did right by dumping her. She was kinda of a bitch."

"Yeah well it's all water under the bridge now, Sof, really. Quit worrying."

It doesn't feel like water under the bridge. It feels like Eliott dammed up the river and walked away with his hands over his ears. Lucas has been trying to contact him but it's been more and more infrequent now. It hurts. But Eliott knows it's probably for the best. He was letting himself get carried away and that was no good. Lucas is just a playboy out of Eliott’s league.

"Ok good. I missed my friend."

"Hey! What am I?"

"Me and Eliott are having a moment here. Wait your turn!"

  
  
  
  


It's too early for the beach to be swarming with tourists so the space is enjoyed by the earlier birds. There are some older locals strolling along, enjoying the peaceful scenery in contemplating silence, and some younger folks looking for seashells along the shoreline. Idriss parks the van and they pile out. The spot they are going to is pretty secluded. There's no direct road so they need to go the rest of the way on foot. They grab the coolers, shoulder their own boards, and head off to their secret waterfront.

"You know I thought you were giving up on us," Idriss remarks as he falls back to speak with Eliott. Sofiane with his 4 cups of coffee is way ahead of them and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

"I'm ok. Seriously." Eliott's trying to keep from getting irritated. He loves his friends but their concern is getting on all his nerves. He wanted to get away for a day and not think of anything but the waves yet here he is trying to convince his friends that he hadn't been avoiding them to spend time with Lucas.

Idriss suddenly smiles at him. "It's good to have you back. We were getting kind of jealous."

"Jealous? Of who?"

Sofiane shouts to them to hurry up and they comply. Just like they had hoped they have the area all to themselves. Since the hike is no joke and the beach is full of rocks and seaweed isn't an ideal beach to spend time at. But it was perfect for them. They have a semicircle of beach surrounded by craggy, sunkissed rocks on one side and the big expanse of blue water yawning in front of them. It's heaven on earth as far as Eliott’s concerned and he sits to watch the sun rise and finish his coffee while Idriss and Sofiane head into the water with their boards.

He slathers on some sunscreen after a while, grabs his borrowed board, and walks into the warm waves. He straddles the plank of wood, lets the waves buoy him gently up and down, as he watches his friends surf farther out where the waves are stronger. He's out there for a good hour, cursing himself for not bringing his camera because the scenery is absolutely gorgeous, before he gets down on his tummy and paddles back to the shore, parched from the constant sunlight.

He flops down on his towel and downs a bottle of water. He looks around. There's someone walking around the shoreline. It’s inevitable their little slice of heaven would be intruded upon. At least it's just one person searching for shells and not a whole group. Then Eliott recognizes the walk and the head full of messy brown hair. Dressed in his blue trunks and white shirt, Lucas plugs along the beach, head down, and using what looked like a pole with a clamp on the end to pick something up and place it in a bag.

What the fuck?

Eliott stares too long, wondering what Lucas is up to and realizes he ought to make himself scarce before Lucas raises his head. Their eyes meet. Lucas’s face is an alarmingly blank canvas. Eliott's heart drops. What did he expect after all but ghost him?

"Hey," he says.

"Hey yourself." 

"What're you up to?"

"Picking up trash."

Picking up trash? That's the last thing Eliott expects to hear out of the mouth of an allegedly bad boy socialite. But it's so incredibly Lucas to spend time cleaning up to make the beach safer to the wildlife. And suddenly Eliott feels like a huge asshole for ever letting Daphne and those fucking rumors get under his skin.

"Need some help?" 

Lucas accepted his help like it's nothing more than a business offer.

Eliott climbs to his feet, shakes open the extra bag Lucas handed him and meekly follows his lead. They walk in silence, eyes trained on the rocky surface of the beach to pick out any unwanted litter.

"You've been kinda absent recently," Lucas finally speaks up. "Are you back with Lucille?"

"God, no. I just did something stupid and I want to apologize."

Lucas stops suddenly and Eliott spins around to face him. He's not expecting the look of panic on Lucas’s face. "Do you regret…"

Eliott's words finally sink in and it's his turn to panic. " _ No _ ! Not at all! I just...curiosity bite me in the ass and I looked you up."

"Online?" He practically chokes on the word and Eliott wants to kick himself really, really hard for being so unimaginably gullible.

"Yeah," he admits, ducking his head. If he was ashamed before it's nothing compared to how he feels now. He just wants the ground to swallow him whole because he can't stand the crushed expression on Lucas’s face. "I'm sorry. I just...I just let all those shitty rumors get to me."

"Do you want me to tell you the stories aren't true? It's just media bullshit and it sold. A lot."

"I should have known."

"It's fine,” Lucas dismisses stiffly. “It happens all the time."

"Well it shouldn't! You're not a louse."

"A louse?" There's a smile trying to work its way across Lucas’s lips. "That's one of the nicer insults anyone's ever said to my face."

"Ok, well womanizer...er...manizer?"

Lucas’s eyes are rolling. "Ok I get it. You can stop now."

"Can you forgive me? I wholly admit I was in the wrong. You don’t have to tell me anything. I just know you're not the guy those tabloids say you are because I don't think that guy would spend a Saturday morning picking up trash."

Lucas looks away, self-conscious. "It's not a big deal."

"I bet you save hundreds of animals."

Lucas cheeks are pink now to Eliott’s delight and he's never wanted to kiss him so much. "Dork. Let's keep going. We've got animals to save."

"Especially the sea turtles."

"Especially them."

They scour the beach until their individual bags are crammed with shit. It's pretty disgusting but Eliott doesn't care because he's spending time with Lucas and the air around them is comfortable and familiar. Eventually they circle back Sofiane and Idriss, exhausted from surfing and tearing into their sandwiches. Eliott and Lucas plop down with them, the other two greeting Lucas warmly.

"Good to see again, buddy," Idriss says, passing Lucas a sandwich. "Thanks for inviting us to that yacht party by the way. It was a hell of a time."

"For real!" Sofiane chimed in with a wide grin. "Best party I've been to. Hands down."

"Glad you enjoyed yourselves," Lucas says with a genuine smile that makes Eliott’s heart turn in loops.

After the brief reprieve Sofiane and Idriss head back to the water and Lucas and Eliott stay behind.

"You can borrow the board and surf some," Eliott offers. "I'm pretty terrible at it."

"It's ok. I need to head back except I...um...don't really know where I am." Lucas looks around with a puzzled expression. "I parked somewhere and just started walking."

Eliott bursts out laughing. "You really are bad with directions. Do you want me to help you get back?"

"Do you mind? My bed's calling me."

Eliott takes a cursory look at Lucas and, yeah, he does look worn out. Eliott’s feeling the wear and tear of an early morning combined with spending time out on the water under the brilliant sun and a nap sounds wonderful. They get up and Eliott waves to grab either of his friend's attention. He pantomimes leavening with Lucas and Sofiane waves him off.

They walk down the beach, slowly making their way to the more easily accessible one that's packed full with sunbathing families.

"Shit, you walked far."

"I had a lot to think about," Lucas murmurs. "And a lot of cigarette butts to pick up."

Eliott feels a pang of guilt, knowing he was probably the reason for Lucas’s overactive brain. He apologizes again but no amount of sorrys feel like it'll be enough. They eventually find the car. It fits right in with the rest of the luxury vehicles. Lucas tosses their trash bags away in a receptacle while Eliott washes off in a public shower stall before toweling himself dry. Lucas pulls out his keys with a loud yawn.

"Want me to drive?" Eliott offers. He’s not too keen about flying off the road if Lucas falls asleep at the wheel. To his surprise Lucas hands over his keys and climbs into the passenger seat without a peep. He's asleep by the time Eliott pulls onto the main road.

Hands down it's the nicest car Eliott’s ever driven. The engine purrs quietly as Eliott carefully makes his way through the winding roads back to the hotel, making sure to go slow so he doesn't wake up Lucas. Eliott parks in the main driveway and gently shakes Lucas awake.

"Hmm?"

"We're back. I'll park the car for you and bring the keys, ok?"

"Sure," Lucas murmurs sleepily and slowly drags himself out of the car as if his limbs are made of lead. 

Eliott parks the car in its primo spot and heads inside through the staff entrance, drawing a couple of curious looks. He waves them off like it's no big deal he's been in driving a luxury car in his finest swimming attire. He cuts through the kitchen and pauses.

At least Eliott learned something valuable when he looked Lucas up. July 10th had come and gone but that didn't mean they couldn't celebrate Lucas’s birthday. Nothing he can do will ever top a party on a yacht. So if he's poor and prone to cheesy romance then Lucas is going to get a poor and cheesy birthday present and like it because doing nothing is not an option as far as Eliott’s concerned. He swipes a dainty little chocolate cake from the kitchen, plates, and utensils and then sneaks up to Lucas’s suite and gently knocks, hoping Lucas hasn't fallen asleep in the meantime. Eventually the door swings open and Lucas stares, sleepy‐eyed and somnolent in his plush oversized bathrobe. 

"I brought you something."

"My keys?" 

"Ok, yes but there's something else too.” Eliott pulls out the cake from behind his back. "Tada! Happy birthday!"

Lucas delighted laugh rings throughout the hallway before he slaps a hand over his mouth. "That was last week."

"Yeah but I was being a dick last week so let's celebrate now." Eliott moves past Lucas into the foyer. "Come eat!"

"Eliott…"

"What? I just want to celebrate your birthday with you."

Lucas tips his head back, eyes big and lips soft and welcoming, and Eliott takes the hint and leans down to kiss him. "Happy birthday," he whispers against Lucas's mouth. "I know it's not much. I can't afford a party on a yacht right now but it's the thought that counts right?"

Lucas kisses him softly. "Thank you."

Lucas is just so soft and sleepy that Eliott can't resist kissing him again, long and slow this time. His pink lips fall apart when Eliott carefully runs the tip of his tongue against the hot seam. The little moan coming from Lucas sends shivers down his spine. He steps into Lucas’s space until he's pressed solidly against him, Lucas's excitement rubbing against him. Eliott pulls back just a little bit and runs his thumb over Lucas’s dewy lower lip, completely transfixed by the soft, incredible boy in his arms.

"Sorry," Lucas murmurs, cheeks a high pink. 

An idea strikes Eliott and then the words bubble up before he can stop them consequences be damned because Lucas looks good enough to eat right now. "Can I help you with that? I can't leave the birthday boy all hot and bothered."

"You can't?" Lucas's voice wobbles somewhere between interest and disbelief.

"Nope."

Lucas’s eyes are dark and unfocused, voice nearly breathless. "What did you have in mind?"

"Can I blow you?" Lucas is so hot Eliott doesn't care if he has no idea how to give a blow job. It probably isn't  _ that _ hard. "Is that ok?"

Lucas nods wordlessly.

"I need you to say it," he gently teases not because he likes to watch Lucas squirm and see how feral his blue eyes have become. 

"Fuck, Eliott," he breathes heavily. "Yes, I want it."

He expects them to just fall backwards against the sofa but Lucas grabs his hand and pulls him into the bedroom. His face is flushed, lower lip caught between his teeth. Eliott cups his face gently and kisses him until he feels Lucas’s warm sigh and slow melting. Then hands are buried in his hair and a tongue is shyly brushing his lips. Eliott's hands reach down to fiddle with the waist ties of Lucas’s pajama pants, pinching them between his thumb and his forefinger and tracing their length. He’s dawdling either because he’s nervous and he’s loving having Lucas all to himself like this - soft, gentle, and warm. 

Maybe it’s both.

They’ve been a lot of firsts with Lucas. First time being attracted to another boy. The first time kissing said boy and experiencing the burn of morning stubble against his own skin. Now the feeling of a lean, firm body moving languidly under his own as if it’s just a casing for molten lava. And a boy’s low-pitched sighs, soft and breathless at first, powering up to become moans as Eliott parts his lips and slowly takes him into his mouth. Thighs shakes. Large hands clench his hair. Hard.

"Wait, Eliott. Stop," Lucas suddenly gasps. "I'm going to come."

Eliott pulls back quickly. Something has changed. Lucas is tense, nearly panicky. "I'll stop if you're uncomfortable."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"Sorry," Lucas murmurs, embarrassed, after Eliott lays down on his side next to him. He’s cocooned deep inside his fluffy robe again with his big blue eyes studying him so timidly from a safe distance. "I made things weird."

Eliott thinks he’d say literally anything just to make Lucas smile again. "I thought we liked weird,” he jokes quietly and watches Lucas nibble on a small smile. Eliott beams at him and reaches out to caress his rosy cheek. “Can I kiss you?” 

“Yeah. I’d like that.” 

Kissing is easy. Kissing is safe. Except for when you’re kissing a devastatingly pretty boy and you’re both excited as hell then kissing is just sadistic. Hips roll forward and, damn, if the friction doesn't feel good in all the right spots. Eager for more, his leg wraps around Lucas's slim waist, knees hitched high, before he realizes what he’s doing.

“Is this ok?” His mind is getting fuzzy. It’s getting harder to think.

“Yeah…” Lucas’s breath fans his face. Lips pepper his cheeks, his neck with quick, sloppy kisses as they rock together. Hot hands seek out Eliott's bare skin where his shirt has ridden up. “So good, baby…”

They move against each other. Friction feels good and makes Eliott moan in the back of his throat. He doesn’t want to stop, but his gut is tightening up. Then Lucas rolls over onto his back, dragging Eliott with him. Lucas’s legs find a home around Eliott’s waist, their bodies flush. Hands slip past Eliott’s waistband to cup his ass, nails skimming his too-hot skin. 

Eliott wants to cum. God he wants Lucas to make him cum. He wants it so badly.

“Lucas,” he moans softly. His tongue feels too thick and clumsy to say anything else, his throat too tight. He pinches his lips together, makes a low sound in the back of his throat when he feels Lucas's hand delve between their bodies to jerk him off. Eliott follows suit, guiding by nothing but instinct and the desperate need to touch him.

"Fuck, Eliott,” Lucas breathes heavily when Eliott wraps his hand around him. “You feel incredible."

Their mouths meet frantically again, hands pumping in near unison, each damn sure to bring the other off.

This can’t go on forever. Something big is boiling up inside. "I'm gonna cum. Faster, Lucas.  _ Please _ ." First time begging too and the words feel delicious and filthy and so right on his tongue.

Lucas nips at Eliott’s lower lip, grip hard on his cock, and then Eliott’s helplessly spilling in near silence, his body pressed tight against Lucas's, cum splattered over his belly.

Lucas is close. Razor’s edge kind of close and it gives Eliott such a high. A few more tugs and he finishes with a broken moan, head thrown back, pink mouth open. He's stunning. In the back of Eliott’s mind he wants his camera to capture this moment when Lucas is tittering so precariously on the edge of an orgasm. Eliott finally feels him tense, hears a shuddering gasp, and then it’s warm and wet once more between their bodies.

It’ll be gross in a moment, but for now it doesn't matter. They stay close, catching their breath and letting their disorientated minds play catch-up. Eliott’s too stunned, too shy, to break the silence at first. He just came on top of his super hot crush. 

Luckily Lucas looks just as winded. A tiny bit smug, Eliott relishes seeing the post-coital fatigue clouding his eyes for the first time, flesh pink and warm from pleasure, and so adorably drowsy. It's sweet. Eliott could look at him forever and never get tired. 

“That was…” Lucas’s voice is low, gravely.

“Ok?”

A tired smile appears. “More than ok, Eliott.”

“Adequet?” 

“Stop,” Lucas whines, curling himself into Eliott’s chest. Eliott doesn’t think he even opened his eyes. He holds on to Lucas, heart feeling full and heavy in a good way, and relaxes in the peace of the room. 

Eventually Lucas speaks up again. "Fuck, we need to shower."

They gingerly climb off the bed and head into the bathroom. It's a fucking spa as far as Eliott’s concerned with calming cream colors everythere, luxurious soaps and shampoos, and a shower with two different heads that have multiple settings to suit your fancy. If Lucas wasn't with him he could have stayed in the shower for the rest of the day. They strip, still languid and relaxed, and then gently scrub each other down with soap that smells like eucalyptus and make smiley faces in the fogged up glass door. 

“What happened to your hand?” Eliott asks when they're back on the bed, skin glowing pink from the steamy shower.

“Went too hard at the gym,” comes the sleepy reply. Eliott draws the hand up and gently kisses with angry red knuckles one at a time. “I’ll have someone bring up some ointment and bandages later, ok?” But Lucas’s body has already become limp and unresponsive by the time Eliott’s done talking so he snuggles down into the mattress and closes his eyes.

The next thing he knows is the bed’s jiggling and waking him up. His eyes slowly open. The sunlight bathes the room in gold. How long have they been asleep? Long enough to get bad breath. Then he looks over and Lucas, dressed in a thin shirt and not much else, is sitting crossed legged with the chocolate cake balanced on the mattress in front of him. 

Eliott smirks. “Hungry?”

“Starving.” 

Cake for dinner sounds like a fantastic idea. 

Of course it’s messy, the frosting gone irreparably soft, and they get crumbs on the fancy sheets all the while giggling between bites of cake. Then Lucas is helping himself to the chocolate smearing Eliott’s lips and pressing him back onto the pillows at the same time. 

Eliott’s heart is turning in loops in his chest. "Again?"

"Again."

  
  


* * *

Between spending time with Eliott and his friends, and getting the aquarium in order for its big re-debut at the end of the month, Lucas is stretched thin. Still there are quiet moments to sit back and relax by the pool and that’s where Yann finds Lucas one afternoon. Dressed in white linen pants and yellow shirt, he slips quietly into the empty lounge next to Lucas, a self satisfied look on his face that immediately sends Lucas’s guard sky high.

"Can I help you?"

"Can't I shower you with my undivided attention without you getting suspicious, Lulu?"

Lucas sits up. "Ok, cut the bullshit. What's wrong?"

The grin doesn't falter as Yann tries his best to look nothing but innocent. " _ Nothing _ !"

Lucas is not falling for the act one bit.

"It's just that you seem happy," Yann eventually admits. "It's been a while since I've seen you smile so much. It's nice."

Now that he thinks about it Lucas realizes how light his chest feels. He feels light and free for the first time in months. Guilt doesn't hound him every day. He doesn't wake up with panic attacks. He isn't consumed by the thought of drinking when his thoughts wandered too far down a dark alley. He feels like himself. And he's actually enjoying life...and suddenly he's second guessing all his choices since he met Eliott. Everything with him came so naturally but now that he's alone with Yann and his mind he's suddenly worried things are going too fast. That he's getting too in over his head and that's the last thing he wants. 

"Yeah well I guess coming down here was a good idea after all," he says quietly. "Getting away is just what I needed."

"New company too I think too."

Lucas stares at him long and hard, choosing to ignore his friend's eyebrow wiggle. There's no way he knows about him and Eliott, right? They hadn't discussed whether or not to play down their relationship officially. It sort of happened that way. The last thing he wants is for Eliott to get into trouble. And he doesn't want his friends to worry. They weren’t serious so there’s really no need to go public Lucas tells himself…..except now it feels like he doesn't come out and say it he'll just combust.

He takes a deep sigh, trying to put some order to the words whirling around in his mind. "Look…."

"Yeah?"

Lucas hangs his head, huffing a chuckle. "So...I kinda met someone."

At least Yann has the decency to look surprised. "Who?"

"Eliott."

"As in hotel Eliott?"

"Yeah. "

Yann practically shouts with delight and jumps into Lucas's arms, drawing curious looks from the other guests. "Bro, I'm so happy for you!"

"It's just I didn't think I'd, ya know, after Charles…" Lucas's tries to find the right words and ends up short. "You guys helped me out so much. I don't want to lose my head like that again."

For the longest time Lucas thought he didn't deserve to be in another relationship or to fall in love again…or whatever he has with Eliott. Not after what happened with Charles and their nasty fallout. If only he had just been smarter he would have left him sooner. If he was stronger he wouldn't have found solace at the bottom of a vodka bottle.

If it hadn't been for Yann and everyone Lucas hates to think what would have happened to him. He'd probably just been another washed up rich kid that hopped in and out of rehabs like they were hotels. Maybe Lucas deserves a second chance after all. 

"Did you expect us to want you to be celibate the rest of your life? Listen, Charles was a huge fucking asshole. You were the victim, not him, and punishing yourself isn't right. Thinking you don’t deserve another chance at a relationship is just bullshit, man. You're a catch. If I wasn't straight I'd totally date you. Does he treat you right?"

Lucas feels his face blush. "Yeah."

"That's all I need to know because if he doesn't he's got us and Manon to deal with."

  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

It’s Mme Lallemant’s idea to buy Eliott a suit for the gala. And not just any suit. One of those fancy suits that Eliott would have no way of paying for himself because traipsing around the party full of France’s super wealthy in his concierge finest is simply out of the question. 

And apparently so is renting one.

So it’s another trip into town and Eliott isn’t exactly sure what he should be expecting. His middle class upbringing did not prepare him for this type of situation. 

**Lucas**

Met me outside when you're ready

**Eliott**

?

**Lucas**

I'm taking you to the shop

**Eliott**

I was just going to take a van

**Lucas**

**☹**

**Eliott**

But if you're not busy I don't mind being chauffeur around town ❤

The drive to Nice is short and smooth and of course  _ Façonnable  _ looks just like the high-end boutique Eliott was coming to expect and immediately feels self-conscious about his ripped jeans. 

"I didn't dress for the occasion,” Eliott pouts.

"Don't worry about it. They only care about money and I have the hotel's credit card."

Lucas tells the toady salesman they are from Mialaret and Eliott needs to get fitted for a suit. The man beams at Eliott who probably wouldn't have given him the time of day otherwise and sweeps them into a private room in the back, plying them with compliments. It’s a decently sized room with mirrors and couches with a separate changing area off to the side. Privacy is definitely a luxury here.

"We're looking for a tux," Lucas explains, taking a seat, chin up, eyes serious. Eliott suddenly really likes what he's seeing- Lucas taking charge. It’s incredibly, well, sexy. "Nothing trendy. Preferably midnight blue."

"Of course," the man says with enthusiastic nods as he pours two glasses of champagne for them. "Sir," he says to Eliott, "I'll need to take some measurements."

That's how Eliott got stripped down to his undershirt and briefs in front of a mirror with a complete stranger measuring his inseam. He tries to keep as straight a face as possible but the urge to squirm is hard to shake. He looks ahead, mind a thousand miles away, and in the mirror he sees Lucas’s blue eyes burrow hotly into his. Eliott licks his lips and diverts his gaze, cheeks warm and feeling as naked as the day he was born. Eventually the man’s done and he scampers off to gather whatever Lucas thought was suitable for the gala.

"First time getting fitted?" Lucas asks cheekily.

"Yeah. I feel a little violated honestly." Eliott joins Lucas on the sofa and drags a throw around himself. There's no point in getting dressed if he's just going to change in a suit but he's not about to sit around in his underwear even if Lucas has seen him naked. "That was awful." Except for Lucas’s unwavering gaze. That part was incredibly hot albeit a bad idea because it veered his thoughts right into the gutter. The last thing he wanted was the poke the poor salesman in the eye with a half chub.

Now that he's closer to Lucas he sees he's a little flushed too. Eliott discreetly exams the door, wondering if it has a lock. Just then the salesman returns, loaded with various articles of clothes. He offers to help Eliott change into them but Lucas dismisses him with an impatient wave of his hand.

"He's just doing his job, ya know," Eliott teases.

"I know but I want him gone."

Eliott strikes an innocent expression as Lucas locks the door behind the man's exit. "What do you mean? I'm just trying on suits."

Lucas slowly comes closer, eyes hooded and intense and fixed squarely on his mouth. "You're going to get us in trouble, M Lallemant,” he says coyly.

"No one will disturb us until I ask them to, M Demaury.”  Lucas makes a desperate grab for Eliott, cupping his face with his hands and pressing him up against the changing room door. Their mouths are on one another, open and frantic. 

_ Finally. _

Lucas pulls back, but barely. His hair’s fallen over his brow. His lips are pink and damp. Eliott smiles at him, equally sheepish and excited. 

"I couldn't wait to get my hands on you," Lucas says. "I hated watching him touch you."

“Did you imagine it was you? On your knees in front of me?"

"The entire fucking time." Lucas’s voice has gone deep and dark and it wreaks havoc on Eliott’s nerves. “I couldn’t wait to get my hands on you.”

Lucas is everything at this moment. His everything. Eliott can’t get enough of him, and wraps his arms around Lucas’s neck and holds him tight, drawing a deep moan from him. Their lips slant against each other again and again and Eliott can’t stop himself from biting down on Lucas’s lower lip and tugging. 

Lucas wrestles with Eliott’s undershirt, dragging it up and up until it’s crumpled beneath his armpits. The air in the room chills him for a moment and then Lucas ducks his head and kisses his chest. Eliott feels exposed and vulnerable but Lucas takes care of him. His head backs against the door, soft, disjointed pants escape his lips, getting weaker every second Lucas nuzzles his warm skin. 

Lucas tongues his right nipple and Eliott nearly jumps out of his skin. Sweet jesus! A whimper rolling in the back of his throat. Not missing a beat, Lucas wraps his lips around the nub and sucks hard. Ah,  _ fuck _ . His hips buck against Lucas, his hands fisting Lucas’s hair a little too hard. The pleasure he gets from the friction shoots straight down to his toes and makes them curl. Never one to do anything halfheartedly Lucas treats his left nipple with the same attention. 

Eliott feels like he’s going to die. Or faint. Or let Lucas do whatever the fuck he wants with him in the dark changing room with nosy salesman just a few steps away.

“You drive me wild, Eliott,” Lucas breathes heavily against his skin. "I'd fuck your brains out right now if you'd have me."

Pleasure churns low and deep inside Eliott. He'd let him. In a heartbeat. Let Lucas push in down on his hands and knees on the plush expensive carpet and fuck him raw. 

Then Lucas is pulling him off the door, distracting him from the fantasy he was building up in his mind, and unapologetically dumps him onto the plush couch. He sinks to his knees, hair a complete mess, lips dark red and rosy. Eliott's legs fall apart helplessly.

"Second best option it is." He’s not shy about palming Eliott’s erection through the thin fabric. Eliott bites back a groan and tries not to press himself into his palm but his lower body as a mind of its own. Lucas hauls Eliott’s underwear down far enough for his cock to bob out. He’s hard and hot and bowing over his stomach. Lucas leans forward, pink lips parted so he can run his tongue over the tip of Eliott’s cock, eyes holding steadfast.

"Fuck," Eliott hisses. "Do that again."

Lucas licks him like he's the best thing he's ever tasted and looking like a complete slut while doing it. Eliott shifts down the couch, urging his cock closer. 

"Do you want me to suck you, Eliott?"

He nods wordlessly.

"What was that, baby?" He's got his forefinger and thumb wrapped around his tip, barely touching him.

"Yes," Eliott finally chokes out, squirming and desperate. "Please."

Lucas leans forward and swallows him like a champ. No preamble. No warning. Eliott squeezes his eyes shut, trying his best to swallow his moan. Fuck. He’s going to die. Rest in peace, Eliott Demaury.

He can’t hold back. He doesn’t care how loud he is. Lucas’s sucking him too good that Eliott’s head is swimming, his shaking body arching into Lucas’s mouth. He can’t get enough.

“Lucas,” he breathes heavily. He doesn’t know what he wants to say. “It’s...so good.”

Lucas opens his mouth and takes more of him inside inch by inch. Eliott wonders how Lucas looks with his lips, swollen and red, stretched around his cock, and a wave of pleasure hits him like a ton of bricks. His head bobs up and down. Each movement has Eliott’s cock going deeper and deeper until Eliott can feel the back of Lucas’s throat. 

“Ah, Lucas, I…” Eliott spills hard inside Lucas's mouth with a shuddering moan.

He collapses against the couch, limbs heavy and weak. His breath races in and out of his nose, and he shuts his eyes. He wants to look at Lucas, wants to see him wipe his red mouth with the back of his hand. He wonders if he swallowed or not, but he doesn’t have the energy to open his eyes. He’s going to return the favor. In just a minute. Then there’s a polite knock on the door and Eliott nearly jumps out of his skin.

“Messieurs, pardon the intrusion, but is everything to your satisfaction?”

Lucas clears his throat and not missing a beat, says perfectly calm, “Oh yes, thank you. Eliott’s perfectly satisfied.”

* * *

  
  
  


A garment bag’s waiting for Eliott on his bed. He’s spent the entire day running around like every other staff member to prepare for the event tonight that he nearly forgot he’s actually a part of. At least his handiwork is. It comes with a jolt that he needs to hurry up and get ready so he flees to his room and that’s when he sees the bag. Holding his breath, he slowly unzips it and looks inside. The suit is black and severely formal with a crisp white shirt, a cream colored waistcoat, and a black tie. Besides the suit is a box of highly polished dress shoes. Eliott takes it all in for a moment, scared to think how much everything costs. At least he’s not footing the bill for it.

His phone buzzes in his pocket.

**Lucas**

Are you ready?

**Eliott**

Not even close

**Lucas**

You know it starts at 19h right?

**Eliott**

I got busy

**Lucas**

You’re not allowed to get busy

Come up to my room and change

You live in a dungeon

**Eliott**

U just want to see me naked again

**Lucas**

We don’t have time for that

**Eliott**

☹

**Lucas**

Meet me in the atrium first tho

I want to show you something 

Smiling to himself, Eliott slings the garment bag over his arm, grabs the shoe box, and heads to the Atrium like he’s told. It’s a hive of activity. Eliott tries to stay out of the way now that he’s no longer there to help organize the chaos. Staff members are putting the final touches on everything, making the cavernous space warm and inviting. The doors have been thrown open to allow the evening breeze to waft in leisurely and the festivities even stretch out to the grounds. Mme Lallement meant this to be a gala to remember and Eliott’s positive it will be.

Lucas’s big dazzling smile makes Eliott’s hard flutter as they meet. He’s already half dressed in his suit pants and shirt but the collar's undone and his hair is a mess. “Come on,” he says, grabbing Eliott’s free hand and tugging him inside.

“What do you want to show me?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Lucas takes him over to the closest wall and there on a big stretch of canvas is one of Eliott’s photos. It’s a wide black and white shot of the hotel. Further down the wall Eliott spies more canvases and doesn’t know what to say. 

It looks just like a gallery.

“They really turned out amazing, Eliott,” Lucas says softly. 

Eliott just nods because his throat hurts too much to talk right now. He doesn’t expect his eyes to sting at the sight but he’s sniffling and trying his best not to cry in front of Lucas. Seeing his work displayed like this it’s all he ever wanted. And now he has he can't stop all his emotions from welling up.

“Babe?” Lucas turns his face towards him. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

Ok that really does it and Eliott hides his face behind his free hand, giggling self-consciously. “It’s just...it’s a lot, Lucas.”

Lucas rubs comforting circles around Eliott’s back and he struggles to regain control. “You deserve it, Eliott. You really do. First here. Next Paris.”

“You think so?”

“I know so,” Lucas says, placing a gentle kiss on his shoulder. “Now quit being a baby. You’re not cute with snot dripping out your nose.” Eliott giggles, feeling a little less wobbly now.

They take the back way up to Lucas’ suite, the main foyer already packed with guest mingling in their finest with flutes of champagne. Lucas shows him to the spare bedroom to shower and change and leaves to take care of his own appearance. The suit feels luxurious and expensive and he hopes won’t be careless enough to spill anything on it. He steps out of the bedroom, still straightening his tie, going to ask Lucas if he can borrow his comb. He stops dead in his tracks. So does Lucas.

They stare at each other, transfixed. Eliott doesn’t even remember how to breath because, fuck, Lucas is hot. 

“You, uh, look nice.” Fuckable is really the word he wants to use but that seems to crass since they are both done up like perfect, respectable gentlemen.

Lucas smirks. “Thanks. Let me fix your tie.” 

Eliott’s hands fall away dumbly as Luas crowds into his space. “You got this all wrong,” he murmurs and the ties hisses as Lucas pulls it out from the collar. “The buttons aren’t right either.” He begins to deftly undo them and a tickle slowly grows in Eliott’s gut. 

“I think the waistcoat needs to be looked at too.”

Eliott nods in agreement. “Definitely.” 

Lucas presses him up against the wall, lips locking together quickly, as Lucas’s nimble fingers make quick work of Eliott’s belt, the buckle clanking eagerly. And then Lucas is kneeling in front of him, undoing his zipper, and uses his mouth in such a way that Eliott can’t think straight. Head tossing back against the wall, he moans and slides his hands through Lucas’s hair, as Lucas sucks him off.

“Baby, I’m so close,” he mutters.

“It’s ok.” Lucas gets back to work and Eliott’s a goner. 

Lucas’s lips are nice and pink by time he’s back on his feet, a devious little twinkle in his blue eyes. Eliott kisses him, slowly walking them towards the bed. 

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Lucas complains halfheartedly between kisses.

“Should have thought about that sooner.”

Lucas isn’t complaining by the time he straddles Eliott and slowly fucks his mouth, hands gripping the headboard, a look of utter abandon on his face.

“Fuck, baby, you feel so good,” he pants helplessly. 

Eliott lays back, letting Lucas take as much time as he needs because that's what perfect, respectable gentlemen do and being with Lucas is better than anything else.

* * *

  
  
  


They're late to the gala but it's already so busy no one sees them sneak in. Lucas fits right in the elegant crowd but it's strange for Eliott to mingle with the rich guests like he’s a part of their inner circles. Mme Lallemant is true to her word. The staff that aren't directly involved with the event have all been invited to attend and he knows the staff who are working are being paid double their regular wages. He sees Manon by the aquarium, chatting with Sofiane and Idriss. Not far away are Basile and Daphne, huddled together with flutes of golden champagne and beaming smiles.

In a matter of hours the atrium has been completely transformed. Out on the terrace, musicians play. Calm, ambient music floats inside from the tall glass doors that have been thrown wide open so people can move from atrium to the garden. Inside the lighting, soft and golden, fills the room, highlighting the countless bouquets and the fine china and crystal laid out on the tables. People gather around the aquarium, marveling at the colorful sight, but it’s the people crowding around Eliott’s photos that make Lucas’s heart swell with pride.

“They really love your work,” Lucas says, adoring the dumbstruck look that hasn’t left Eliott’s face all evening. “You should be proud of yourself.”

He spots someone familiar in the crowd, squeezes Eliott’s hand to tell him he’s leaving for a moment, and heads off. M Dupont is a family friend and a gallery owner in the 13th eme. Lucas is swelling with pride to see him studying one of Eliott’s photographs as he slides up beside him.

“It’s great, isn’t?”

“Lucas! It’s good to see you again!" M Dupont greets him, hazel eyes.bright behind his thick glasses. "Thank you so much for the invitation.” They shake hands.

“Paris keeping you busy?”

“Always but I never turn down meeting new talent. Tell me, when did M Demaury graduate Speos?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

If Eliott is taken off guard by M Dupont’s interest in his work he hides it well and answers all his questions perfectly while Lucas is there, hand resting on the small of his back to ground him. Charles always had carried himself with the confidence of someone who thought all social events centered around him. He was the golden child of France’s celebrity culture after all. He expected people to want to speak with him. And boy did they. Smiles. Handshakes. Kisses. Everyone wanted a piece of Charles and, little did Lucas know at the time, Charles wanted a piece of them too.

Eliott is different. He's obviously humbled by M Dupont’s interest in him. 

“I would like to see more of your work, Eliott. Would you be so kind as to show me your portfolio once you return to Paris?”

“Yes. O-of course.”

“Wonderful. I’m hosting a show at my gallery later this year,” he goes on. “It’s going to feature several up and coming photographers around the country. I’d like to offer you a spot if you have time to work me into your schedule. I know photographers like you are booked far in advance.” M Dupont pulls out his business card and hands it over to Eliott. “Let me know once you have a change to look at your calendar. Good evening, gentleman.”

Eliott is quiet as he stares down at the business card like it's a piece of gold. Lucas slowly rubs his hand up and down Eliott's back. "Hey, are you ok?"

He gives a distracted nod. "I-I think I just need some air."

"Come on then." Lucas grabs his hand and guides him outside where the air is cooler and there's room to breathe. “Better?”

Eliott still looks a little overwhelmed and guilt dampens Lucas’s mood. Had he made Eliott uncomfortable? “M Dupont’s a good guy. He’s museum attracts all kinds of people but it’s still small and low-key.” 

“You asked him to come? For me?”

“Of course. Is that ok?”

Eliott turns pink and it’s the cutest thing ever as far as Lucas is concerned. “No one’s ever done something like that for me,” he says timidly. “No one’s ever believed in me like you do, Lucas.”

Heartache burrows deep in his heart. He wished Eliott had more confidence in his skills because he's a damned good photographer but Lucas knows he can’t just wish for it to happen overnight. “It’s an honor.”

Eliott, ducks his head, thoroughly embarrassed now.

“Are you having a good time?” The sun’s gone down, replaced by the half moon and hundreds of twinkling stars and they’ve made it to one of the secluded outlooks, far away from the crowd, so Eliott takes the chance to duck his hand and kiss Lucas in the shadows.

“Of course.”

“I was thinking…”

"Hm?"

"Do you want to stay the night with me?" 

"Mhm," Eliott murmurs contently with a nod.

Lucas grins, grabs him by the smooth lapels of his suit, and pulls him down to his level. In the shadows it feels like they can kiss as much as they like. Eliott drags his arms up and over Lucas’s shoulders, tethering their bodies together, and their lips slot together perfectly. 

"Is it too early to leave?" Eliott asks, a hand covertly sliding down to his butt to give it a little squeeze.

Lucas sucks in his lower lip, trying not to laugh. "Nope."

They abandon the lookout, giggling and giddy, and travel hand in hand through the gardens back to the hotel. Yann’s sudden appearance makes Lucas pause. He doesn’t look good. In fact he looks pissed.

“We got company,” he says abruptly.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s Charles. I don’t know how but the motherfucker's here and he’s looking for you.”

Lucas’s pleasant buzz shatters like glass. “He’s here?” His voice is low, lost, to his own ears and he fucking hates it. He sounds so young, so foolish, like he's the little broken boy again.

“Yeah. Fucker checked in and everything. I don’t know what he’s playing at…”

“Lucas! It’s so good to see you again." 

And there he is, swathed in an elegant black tux with a pompous smirk on his perfect face, with Manon trailing closely behind him. Rage boils up from the pit of Lucas’s belly, threatening to spill over. He never thought he’d see Charles again in real life. Lucas squares his shoulders, face set in a rigid scowl. He wasn’t going to let Charles ruin this night. Or his life ever again.

“What?” Charles's smirk is slimy, eyes cold and calculating. He knows  _ exactly _ what he is doing. “No hello kiss?”

Fucker. Creep. 

Lucas's hand balls up into a fist at his side. “What do you want, Charles?”

“I just want to say hello, sweetheart. Since when is that a crime?”

“I told you I never wanted to see you again.”

“A bit over dramatic aren’t we, Lucas?”

“You heard him, asshole,” Eliott steps up, fearless of Charles’s clout. Lucas is absolutely delighted he’s taller than Charles and can see that Eliott’s using it to his advantage. "Now get lost."

Charles takes a long hard look at Eliott, one eyebrow arched delicately. “And _ you _ are….?”

“No one,” Lucas interrupts, grabbing Eliott’s hand and pulling him away towards the atrium. “Come on, Eliott,” he says under his breath. “I need to get out.” His hands are clammy, his voice strained and Eliott follows him dutifully through the garden, quickly leaving the group behind.

“It’s ok, baby. We'll go.”

Lucas rounds on him. It took all he had to be strong in front of everyone that now he just wants to be sick. “No, it’s not," he breathes quickly. He can’t stand how whiny he sounds but fuck it feels like he’s going to cry. Tears sting his eyes and he blinks them away quickly. "I-I can’t stay here. Not with him.”

“Lucas, it’ll be fine,” Manon gently says. “Eliott will take you anywhere you want to go, ok?”

Lucas nods, lips pinched together tightly. Eliott cups his face in his hands. “Just tell me where and we'll go," he whispers so softly Lucas doubts Manon can hear him and suddenly the world’s shrunk down to just the two of them again.

“I don’t know. I just...Can we go to Paris tonight? Stay at your place?” The farther away he gets from Charles the better in his opinion. And right now Eliott’s place in Paris feels like the safest place in the world. He imagines them curled up together in his bed, buried under blankets. His heart longs so much for the vision to come true he's almost breathless.

“It’s awfully far,” Eliott points out gently. “Why don’t I take us into town for the night? Get a place there and in the morning we can talk about Paris, ok?”

“Yeah,” Lucas agrees with a faint nod. "Ok."

They depart quickly, leaving Manon and the rest to take care of Charles. Eliott fetches Lucas’s keys and wallet and then they're in the Lexus, driving through the dark winding roads while he sits, a small quiet lump in the passenger seat, looking out the window, trying desperately to hold his splitting seams together.

Eliott parks the car at the first hotel they come (and hotel is putting it nicely) and Lucas waits while he checks to see if there are any available rooms. They are in luck. Two men checking into a singular hotel room with no luggage is sketchy at best but no one raises any questions. 

“I told them we were just married,” Eliott jokes lamely.

“That wouldn’t be so bad,” Lucas returns in whisper. 

What would it be like if Lucas had met Eliott first? He can picture it with crystal-clear clarity and the thought of what could have happened hurts so damn much tears sting his eyes. They would have met in Paris, in some small cafe where no one knows him, when Lucas is visiting. They notice each other immediately. They will always notice each other in every universe. It just took a little longer to meet him in this one.

Their room is a definite downgrade but at least the bed’s big and the rough cotton sheets are clean. Lucas strips off his suit immediately as if it's been contaminated by the night's turn of events and silently climbs into bed, pulling the thick blanket up and over himself until only his face is visible. Of fucking course Charles would show up now and ruin absolutely everything.

“Lucas?”

“Can you hold me?” He's trembling and scared and just wants to feel Eliott's around him, keeping him safe from the outside world that's so dark and cruel. 

“Of course, baby.” Eliott strips down to his undershirt and briefs too and climbs inside the cocoon to wrap his arms around Lucas’s middle. He holds him close, and Lucas feels the softest of kisses against the back of his neck. He wishes he could enjoy the touch like it deserves.

"You know what, Eliott? I wish I had met you sooner." His cracking voice fills the heavy silence of the room. He sniffs miserably.

"Me too, babe," comes the softly whispered reply. It sounds as ardent as a prayer and Lucas is comforted knowing Eliott feels the same bittersweet yearning for what could have been. "I don't think I've ever wished for something more."

“I'm sure you already know that Charles is my ex," Lucas starts after a moment. "He was my first everything and I was so fucking in love with him. He was so charming and gentle with me that I didn’t think it was unusual when things started to get out of control. Of course he apologized when he got rough with me and I let it go. I thought maybe it was his thing in bed and I wanted to keep him happy. He kept me from my friends and family. Always asked who I was with and where I was when he was working and I was in Boston. One day I had enough and just snapped. Big mistake. That's when he hit me for the first time. Of course he cried and apologized again and I forgave him like a moron  _ again _ . Because that's what you do when you love someone. 

It went on like that for  _ months _ . He tore me down with his hands and his words but I still thought he loved me," Lucas whispers. He wanted to tell Eliott his story but he's only ever told this version to his therapist. "I was so entrapped with him I nearly lost touch with all my friends and flunked school. They finally figured out what was going on and helped me put an end to my relationship with Charles." Lucas swipes a hand over his eyes. "I thought that would be the end of it. But then I started to drink because it hurt so bad to be away from him. I thought I had made a huge mistake even as he told all those lies to the tabloids and fucked up my life. Eventually I realized Charles was an asshole, got the help I needed, and I got my life back together.”

“I’m so sorry, Lucas. Thank you for telling me.”

“Thank you for listening,” Lucas replies. His voice is as fragil as an egg shell. “I know it's a lot to take in. I just wanted you to know who that was and maybe...”

“To see if I still want to stick around?”

“Something like that, yeah."

“I do, Lucas. Without question.”

Lucas turns around in his arms. There’s just enough light in the room for their eyes to meet. “Are you sure?” He hates how scared and small his voice is. But that's how he feels; scared and small and lost.

“Yes.” Eliott rests his forehead against Lucas’s. "Always. In every universe."

"Even though I'm just someone's sloppy seconds?" Lucas whispers miserably. Fat tears are welling up in his eyes as he speaks his inner shame. "I'm no good to anyone anymore.”

"Don’t say something like that, Lucas. You’re my first Lucas and I'm your first Eliott. That’s all that matters.”

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Lucas sleeps fitfully and wakes early to find his phone full of texts from his friends. He sits up carefully and goes through them. Both Yann and Manon had tried to get rid of Charles discreetly but as of this morning he is still on the grounds and adamant about seeing Lucas.

"Creep," Lucas mutters under his breath and tosses his phone aside. He settles back down and watches Eliott sleep for a moment, letting the peace of the early morning wash over him. Eliott always has the effect on him. Sweet, kind, understanding Eliott. He never knew someone like him could exist in such a hard world yet here he is with his brilliant smile and honey brown hair, making Lucas’s world a little more gentler and a little more safer.

Lucas adamantly hates that his vacation will come to an end so soon. There are still two weeks left until Eliott goes back to Paris. Lucas hadn’t planned to leave before then but the fact of the matter is that he can't stay if Charles remains here. 

"I can hear you thinking," Eliott mutters, not bothering to open his eyes.

A soft smile spreads over Lucas’s lips. "I'll think quieter then."

"How about you don’t think at all?" Sleep heavy arms wrap themselves around Lucas, dragging him further into bed and against Eliott's warm body. "Go back to sleep, baby."

He could get used to this. He really could. The softness. The natural intimacy. He could melt into it, absorb it like a sponge, and maybe eventually come to believe he deserved this. He never had this with Charles. 

And there the bastard is again. Popping up and ruining Lucas’s mood like a terrible jack in the box. 

How much longer will he have to deal with this? He flops around and buries his face in Eliott's chest, breathing in his scent to chase away the unpleasant images, until it's just him and Eliott in their tiny hotel room and no ghost of the past to haunt him.

"I don't know if I can go back to sleep,” Lucas admits glumly, not yet ready to face the day. “They couldn't get Charles to leave last night."

"Can you call the cops or something?"

"I don't want people to see and start gossiping. I don’t want any more drama."

"We'll just stay here until he leaves,” Eliott says, wrapping his arms tighter about Lucas. He places a kiss on the top of his head. “Or we can go back to Paris."

"I can't keep running from him forever," Lucas admits sadly. "Maybe he'll leave once we talk?"

Eliott looks vastly unsure. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"I don't know. I'm just tired of hiding and tired of being scared."

"Whatever you do I'll support you 100%."

"Thank you."

  
  


* * *

They fall asleep for a few more hours before waking slowly and eventually crawling out of the nice warm bed to shrug on their wrinkled suits, unhappy and remorseful that they have to abandon their tiny sanctuary. They head back to the hotel in silence. Eliott tries to keep the mood lighthearted but the closer they get to the hotel the quieter Lucas gets.

"Hey." He covers Lucas’s hand with his own as they sit in the parked car. Lucas meets his gaze reluctantly. "You can do this, Lucas. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for and so brave."

Lucas sucks in a deep breath and nods, determined with a steely look in his eyes. He squeezes Eliott’s hand. "Thank you."

Eliott leans over and presses a kiss to his cheek quickly. "I'll see you later, ok? Text me and call me whenever. I'll have my phone with me."

He's pretty sure he's fired when he clocks in. However the machine accepts his punch. He grabs a quick bite to eat in the kitchen when Idriss comes up to him, grinning. He doesn't like that look.

"So have you decided to join us?"

"What do you mean?"

"You and Lucas looked pretty cozy with each other last night."

"Jealous?"

"Fuck yeah. I mean I've been trying to get into your pants for years." Eliott smirks. "But seriously. Good for you, man. Lucille was...well she was something."

Lola storms into the kitchen, expression stormy, as she grabs the first knife she sees and makes to leave. Eliott jumps in front of her. "Hold up. What the fuck, Lola?"

She glares up at him. "Move it, Demaury."

"What's wrong?"

"I was cleaning one of the rooms and that asshole comes in and puts his hand up my skirt. I'm going to chop his dick off."

"Who?"

"I don't know his name. He came late last night."

Eliott’s blood turns to ice and he carefully takes the knife away from Lola. He imagines going after the bastard himself but he’s the adult in this situation so he needs to keep a level head. "I know who it is. I'll take care of it."

"But…"

"No buts, Lola."

He finds Charles in the hotel registry, his face a calm facade until he makes it up to his room to pound on the door. His mind is disturbingly blank. Between the incident with Lola and his past relation with Lucas he doesn't even know where to begin.

The door swings open and an ugly smirk greets him. "Oh. It's  _ you _ . Don't recall ordering any room service." He's about to slam the door when Eliott sticks a foot out. He bullies his way inside, perversely delighted taking Charles by surprise, and slams the door shut behind him. 

"The fuck is your problem?"

"You're too damn handsy."

Realization dawns on Charles's face. "So that little bitched ran her mouth, huh?"

"Yeah. Keep your hands off or I'll have your ass thrown out."

Charles regards him silently, eyes steely and mean. "You're name's Eliott, right? Is Lucas letting you get handsy with him? He's off limits you know. He's all mine."

"If you think you can bully your way back into his life you're dead wrong. He told me all about you."

"Oh yeah? What did the little slut say? Some sob story about how much of a bastard I am? Don't believe him so fast. He wanted everything I did to him."

Eliott sees red. "Fuck you. Don't you talk about Lucas like that."

"Why? He likes it rough and I gave him the best dick of his life."

Eliott lets his fist fly and hits Charles square in the jaw. He's head snaps back but before Eliott can savor the rush of sweet revenge, Charles recovers impossibly fast and slams a fist straight into Eliott’s stomach. He doubles over, winded, feeling about to puke. 

"Not so tough now, are you? Get the fuck out." Charles grabs eliott by the back of his collar, flings the door open, and shoves him out into the hallway. Eliott gets one last lucky punch in before tripping and falling back against the wall, breathing heavy.

"Eliott!"

The shrill voice causes both men to pause. Lucille is hallway down the hall, eyes wide in shock.

"This man assaulted me," Charles is the first to find his voice. "Call the cops. I want to press charges."

"Of...of course. Eliott, come one. I need to you to see Mme Marceau."

"But…"

"Eliott, now!"

  
  
  
  
  


Mme Marceau sits across her desk. The only thing betraying her thoughts is the steely look on her eyes as she studies Eliott. Everything else looks perfectly unruffled. Eliott wishes he could say the same for himself. His suit is a mess and his hand and abdomen are throbbing like hell.

"Explain yourself, Eliott," she demands simply. 

“He harassed one of the girls and I went to investigate."

She arched one thin eyebrow. There are many things she didn't tolerate and very high on the list were men who messed around with her girls. "Who was it?"

Eliott hesitates and then there's a knock on the door before mme Lallemant and Lola enter, both decidedly grim.

"Charles started it," Lola announces. "He cornered me in a room and put his hand up my skirt."

"Lola, you know there are protocols for this kind of incident. Why didn't you come to me?"

"Because I was grabbing a knife to chop off his dick."

"Lola!"

Lola rolls her eyes and juts her bottom lip out in a defiant pout. 

"I appreciate your sense of duty, Eliott, I really do, but I simply cannot have staff members assaulting our guests no matter how vile they are," mme Lallement says sadly. "Please pack your bags. You're fired."

* * *

  
  
  


Lucas locks himself in the gym to keep himself occupied. An hour on the treadmill and then one spent punishing the punching bag leaves him exhausted but his mind is still running in circles around Charles. He can't shake him. Despite his words in the hotel room, he's hiding now. He knows that but nowhere else feels safe. His room feels claustrophobic and the atrium is too exposed so he hides out in the gym.

Maybe he should have just stayed away.

Things quiet down and Lucas takes a break to gulp down some water. He isn't paying attention to the entryway and suddenly Charles is there, sporting a black eye and busted lip that Lucas would have normally been thrilled by if he wasn't so alarmed.

"The fuck happened to you?" Not that he cared.

"Your boyfriend attacked me."

That didn't sound like Eliott at all. Plus Charles is a fucking liar so Lucas takes his words with a grain of salt. "Yeah sure. I need you to get out of here."

Charles takes a step closer. Lucas retreats hastily, body starting to tremble but not from exhaustion. "I'm serious. Leave. It's over."

"It's not over until I say it's over, Lucas." He grabs Lucas by his arm and drags him close, sticking his angry face right in Lucas’s line of sight. His eyes are dangerously stormy as his hand cramps down like a vice. Lucas gasps. He looks widely around the room for a way out. "You're mine," Charles hisses.

"Fuck you," he whispers and the he's shoves up against a wall so hard his head bangs against it. Panic and fear mix in his gut, sending tendrils of ice throughout his body, but he stands his ground. "I'm not yours. I never was. You are a fucking monster, Charles, and I wish I had left you sooner. What we hadn't wasn't a relationship. It was abuse. I want you to leave."

A terrible anger flashes in Charles's face, leaving Lucas paralyzed with fear. "If you kick out I'm going to the tabloids and you know how much they love your family's name. They couldn't get enough the first time around. They will eat up whatever I tell them next."

"I don't care," Lucas bluffs but his voice is weak. "Say whatever you want."

"I will, you little slut. Do you wonder how Eliott will react? He won't want anything to do with you once I'm done."

Before he can come up with a reply, the gym door swings open and Manon walks in. She immediately sees the pair of them and her face turns livid. Charles immediately takes a step back, a fake smile plastered to his face.

"Manon! How nice to see you."

"Fuck off. We told you to leave."

"Unfortunately, Manon, you don't scare me. I'm not leaving without Lucas and there's nothing you can do to make me leave. I'll go to the tabloids."

Manon looks unimpressed. "You talk to them again and we'll sue you for defamation. Add assault and sexual harassment on top of that and you're looking at a very nasty court case."

"Nothing will hold up."

"I'll testify," Lucas speaks up. He had missed his chance before but he’s be damned if he did it again.

"And so will Lola. There's only one way out of this with your public image intact, Charles, and that is to leave quietly and never contact Lucas again. Just how many companies hire sexual predators nowadays? You won't get job offers for years if we go to court."

Charles looks between Manon and Lucas. Finally he backs off. "Fuck both of you," he snaps and stalks out of the room.

Lucas sits down heavily when he's gone. His legs feel like jelly. Manon hurries to throw her arms around him. "It's ok, Lucas. I meant every word of it. I've been building a case against him for months. We'll press charges if he talks."

Lucas nods, too overwhelmed to speak at first. "Thanks for coming when you did, Manon."

"I was looking for you. I need to speak to you about Eliott."

"What about him?"

"Lucas, he was the one who hit Charles.He's been fired. He was escorted out of the hotel an hour ago."

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Eliott sucks down cigarette after cigarette as he waits for a text from Lucas. Two hours since he first texted him and nothing. He waits miserably at the train station, bags by his feet, not ready to leave for Paris until he sees Lucas one last time. But it's getting late and the final train leaves for Paris in half an hour. His phone vibrates in his lap. Finally. 

**Lucas**

Where are you?

**Eliott**

Train station

**Lucas**

Stay there

I'll be there in a few

Eliott doesn't want to think how fast Lucas drove to get to the station in less than 20 minutes but suddenly there he is, stormy and frazzled like a small hurricane. They stare at each other, quiet for a split second, then Lucas is sprinting over and throwing his arms around him. 

Eliott hisses in pain. "Ouch."

Lucas peels himself off immediately. "Oh shit I'm sorry! Are you ok?"

"Just a little bruised."

"I heard what happened between you and Charles," he says in a rush, desperate to get the world's out as quickly as possible. "He's gone now. We can talk to my mom and explain everything! We can get your job back!"

Something pulls on Eliott's heart - warm, encompassing affection because Lucas obviously isn't ready to say goodbye and then the bleak inevitably that they just are not supposed to end up together in the end. When it comes down to it they are from two different worlds. 

"Lucas, it’s fine," Eliott says quietly even as his heart breaks. "It's just two more weeks and my position is up anyway. Might as well head back to Paris now."

Whatever they have, Eliott doesn't want the employer-staff dynamic to muddle it but it stills breaks his heart to say goodbye to Lucas like this.

"But I'm not ready to say goodbye," Lucas whines softly, eyes big blue puddles that make Eliott’s heart wobble precariously, "because if you aren't here, it's worthless. Eliott, I know we just met, but it feels like I've waited for you my whole life. I don't want to be scared anymore. I don't want to wait anymore because life is now, Eliott, and I love you."

His words pack a punch. Sweet brave Lucas who had his heart trampled on once but is determined to love again. 

Tears sting Eliott’s eyes as he embraces Lucas gently, the bleak perspective disappearing in an instant. Now there's nothing but happiness, brilliant lighthearted happiness and relief filling his heart. "I love you too, Lucas. Leaving you now would be the worst thing I've ever done."

"Then what are we going to do?"

"Come to Paris with me," he says. It’s a reckless idea but it’s absolutely perfect. They can do it. "Stay with me until you need to go back to the States. It'll be cramped and I'll probably annoy you but stay with me. Please?"

They part at the train station, vowing to meet up at Eliott's apartment after Lucas says his goodbyes to his friends and family. It's a long and quiet ride back to Paris. Dusk is descending quickly once he gets off at the station and Eliott’s worn out from the trip home but he needs to make his apartment warm and inviting for Lucas, to be a safe place for him. 

After nearly three months the air itself is stale and hot inside the apartment. So he unlocks all the windows and flings them open. Then he cleans and dusts what little he owns, makes his bed with fresh sheets, and orders takeout for dinner, and while he waits for it to be ready, makes his way to the closest supermarket to buy a bouquet of flowers. He packs the food in the fridge and puts the little bouquet in a vase on the tiny kitchen table when he returns. It’s not much but for the next two weeks it’ll be their little sanctuary.

When he can't think of anything else to do he goes outside to sit on the stoop and waits. His heart does a loop-de-loop every time he gets a text from Lucas updating his location. He's driving north. And driving too fast but he doesn't listen to when Eliott tells him to slow down. It feels a few moments pass and then Lucas is parking his ridiculously expensive car on the dirty street of Eliott's dingy apartment building and steps out, looking as haggard as Eliott feels.

Lucas is here.  _ His _ Lucas is finally here in Paris.

Eliott's on his feet before he can think and jogs over to Lucas, cupping his face in his hands as gently as possible and kissing his forehead. “Lucas," he says, breathing him in. "Are you ok?”

“Yeah. Just tired.” He looks more than just tired. Exhausted and pallid in the yellow street light with wrinkled clothes and limp hair. “My mom wants me to tell you she'll hire you back at double the pay."

"No thanks."

"That's what I said so be expecting some severance pay from her."

Eliott couldn't care less about money. "And what about…"

"He was gone by the time I got back," Lucas sighes.

"Good.” And that’s the last time Eliott decides they will ever mention Charles again. “Come on, baby, let's get you inside. I've dinner for us."

Eliott helps with his bags despite Lucas’s complaints and leads him up the apartment staircase to the top floor. They are both hot and breathless by the time they reach the top so the big reveal of the apartment isn't as dramatic as he would have liked it when he swings open the door with a quiet, "Ta da!"

Lucas is quiet as he looks about the tiny flat. "It's…"

"Small?"

Lucas rolls his eyes. "I was going to say cozy."

"The couch folds down into a bed."

Humor flickers in his eyes. "And practical."

Lucas excuses himself to the bathroom while Eliott nukes their dinner, and emerges looking soft and adorable in a pair of oversized, well-loved pajamas. They sit together on the couch to eat because the kitchen table isn't suitable for more than one person. He eats because he hasn’t had anything in hours but the food tasted like cardboard. Lucas yawns between every other bite.

When they have their fill, Lucas stores the leftovers and Eliott unfolds the bed. It's late and what they both need is a fresh start to forget about the stress of this neverending day. The new sheets are butter soft and smell like fabric softener when they sink down into the mattress, cuddling quietly in the dark apartment lit by moonlight and filled with the sound of the night breeze whistling in the trees.

So this is it. This is what the next few weeks will be like until Lucas goes back to college next month.

"I'm glad you're here," Eliott whispers, not wanting to disturb the quiet of the room in case Lucas just wants to go to sleep.

He feels Lucas run his fingertips circles against his arm, giving him goosebumps. "Me too."

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to give me an answer right away. I just want to ask." He should have probably kept his mouth shut and let Lucas have time to decompress but sleep seems so far off if he doesn't get his question out. 

"What is it?"

He leans close, snuggles his face against the crook of Lucas’s neck and softly asks, "Lucas, will you be my boyfriend?"

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


The photo of Lucas smiling in his graduation finest comes with a painful pang in Eliott heart. He hadn't been able to afford time away from work to be there for his boyfriend's graduation and it sucked. Ironically editing his Lux and Obscurus photo shoot for the exhibition at M Dupont’s gallery is complete and he now has all the time in the world. 

Timing can be a real bitch sometimes.

**Eliott**

Wish I could have been there

😥 

**Lucas**

You didn't miss much 

We stood. We sat. We walked across the stage and I got a very expensive piece of paper 😂

**Eliott**

I'm so proud of you

My little marine biologist 🐟 

**Lucas**

You know it 

But you did miss something big

**Eliott**

Bigger than graduation?

**Lucas**

Literally

I bought a boat

**Eliott**

Whaaaat?

**Lucas**

I thought a lot about what you said before 

And I'm going to do it

I'm going to sail the world

**Eliott**

Lucas!!!

You are absolutely nuts

**Lucas**

Do you still want to be my shipmate? 🥺

I can't do this alone

  
  


The apartment buzzer rings. Eliott's tempted to ignore it and focus his attention on his phone but the more the buzzing continues the more irritated he gets. Eventually he gets up and presses the speaking button on the intercom.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby!"

"Lucas!"

They meet halfway and Eliott wraps his arms around Lucas despite the ridiculously large bouquet Lucas brought with him. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to come next week!"

"I didn't want to wait. I just wanted to see you."

They kiss then, oblivious to everything and everyone else.

"Did you really buy a fucking boat?"

"Yup!" Lucas’s eyes are bright with excitement, his smile contagious.

"And you really want me to come with you?"

"Yup," Lucas chimes in with the air of someone definitely not taking no for an answer. "We won't have to go the whole way around. It'll just be for a couple of months. Please, Eliott?"

It will be a cold day in hell before Eliott can say no to those big, baby blue eyes of his. “Of course, baby. Just don't fall off the boat because I won't be able to rescue you."

"Don't worry," Lucas says gently, pulling him in closer. "You already did."

  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  



End file.
